With Bated Breath
by Lady-Ravenhawk
Summary: When you're used to fighting battles based on physical strength alone, it is hard to accept that there are some enemies you cannot conquer. Faith and courage will be tested for two families when life-changing events turn everything upside down. But love can find you in the strangest places and strength in even the most dire of situations.
1. What am I Supposed to Do?

Waiting was the worst.

Jenny sat in the doctor's office, leaning over in the chair in front of the large desk in front of her. She was getting tired of the smell of the hospital. So many tests had been run, CT scans, blood work. She was just ready to do what needed to be done so she could go back home and maybe finally try for a son with Piccolo. She looked over at him, giving him a faint smile as he sat uncomfortably in the chair next to her own. He actually wore jeans and a nice shirt for once. "You should wear that more often," she said quietly as she reached out to trace the collar.

Piccolo shook his head, the stoic expression still on his face. He hated dressing like an earthling. The fabric was stiff and too tight as far as he was concerned. The denim felt rough against his skin. "Don't hold your breath," he muttered in a quiet voice. "As soon as we get home, I'm giving these to Paige along with a box of matches and telling her to have at it." It only seemed appropriate, seeing as how that was the same fate his cape and turban had met at the hands of his eldest daughter. He had been rather irritated that day when he found out what had happened to his training clothes, but his little girl had blinked up at him with her big blue eyes and her mischievous little smile with a box of matches hanging out of her pocket and laughing was the only thing he could do. He looked over at his wife now, his expression softening as he reached out and ran his fingers through her short dark hair. "I hope they can figure out what we need to do," he said quietly. "Don't you worry about anything. It's all going to be fine. You'll see."

She leaned into his touch, managing a smile. "Isn't that what they say in those horror movies right before everything goes terribly wrong?" she asked, her eyes flickering over towards the door as it opened and the doctor walked in carrying a large file in his hands. Butterflies moved around strongly in her stomach as she took in the all too calm expression on his face, the forced smile as he reached out and shook each of their hands before he sat down in front of them. "So," she said nervously, "What did you find out?"

The doctor gave the woman a small smile as he opened up her folder and looked down at the tests result., "It's good and bad news, I'm afraid. The CT scan and blood work that we have done does confirm that you have a form of endometrial cancer. The good news is that surgery has excellent results of eliminating the abnormal cells and followed with a set schedule of chemotherapy we should be able to cure you."

Jenny's head spun and her world seemed to spiral down into one point around that one simple little word, _cancer_. She felt dizzy and was sure she could feel the blood draining from her face. The doctor seemed to be waiting patiently as she gathered her thoughts, the rest of what he had said starting to hit her full force. "I... don't... What do you mean cancer? Surgery? What does that mean?"

Piccolo felt absolutely dumbstruck. He wasn't exactly familiar with cancer, but he'd heard of it and he knew it was serious. People died from that, didn't they? He inwardly cursed himself for not learning more about humans. His kind had no such affliction. And he didn't like the sound of her undergoing surgery either. He swallowed the hard knot in his throat and reached over to take his wife's hand in his own. He had no words and clenched his jaw shut as he just listened to her talk to the doctor.

Jenny could barely feel it when Piccolo took her hand, but she squeezed back hard as she listened to the doctor explain how this particular cancer started out in the uterus. He explained the dangers of it metastasizing and how the abnormal cells usually travel to the lungs causing problems with breathing and the like, "Wait, you said surgery. What do you do? Do you just go in and take out the bad cells?"

The doctor shook his head, "No, I am afraid we will have to remove the entire uterus. If we leave the infected organ, there is a higher risk of the cancer lingering and coming back. It could begin to spread to your cervix, bladder, anywhere down there really. I am going to have to set this surgery up relatively quickly, we don't want this to go on any longer than it already has. I understand that you and your husband were trying for another child. I am sorry that will no longer be possible, but perhaps after the surgery, I can set you both up with some counselors and we can discuss other options if you would like."

Piccolo didn't know how much longer he could just sit here and listen to this doctor speak. His wife's life was in danger, there was no hope of them having any more children, and this bastard just sat there and spoke in that calm tone with the forced little smile on his face? He gripped Jenny's hand as his power level rose and he fought to press it back down. "Isn't there anything else you can do?" he growled out through clenched teeth. "You're a doctor for god's sake. You're supposed to HEAL people, not just go in and cut out body parts! There has to be another solution for this!"

The doctor kept his calm, he had seen it all before. The angry husband, the shocked wife. They would go through the stages of grief soon, "There are other options, of course, but the damage has already been done to her body. The uterus is no longer a fertile area for fetal growth. The abnormal cells inside of it right now will not allow for implantation of a fertilized egg. I could prescript a hormonal treatment or chemotherapy, but the cancer would still be there. It's like a scar. The absolute best course of action would be to remove the uterus and then put her on a treatment plan for chemotherapy to make certain that there is no recurrence of the cancer after the surgery. Does that make sense? As of now, there is no reason, no point for the uterus to stay inside of the body."

He took out a prescription pad and started writing down on it. "I'll make an appointment for you to go see the anesthesiologist and my assistants will set you up with the earliest surgery date that we can find. Most likely it will be later on this week or next Monday."

Jenny nodded numbly at the doctor, reaching out and taking the little slip of paper he handed over to her. She barely caught him saying something about counseling services for the life changing surgery. The life altering cancer that she now had in her body. Despite what it meant, that she could no longer have any children, she wanted it out of her. It had ruined everything. She bit her lip and let Piccolo guide her to stand up as they left. What did this mean now? What if the surgery didn't go as planned? What if she didn't make it through the surgery? Would she get to watch her babies grow up? Would she be able to grow old with Piccolo?

Piccolo felt like his legs were made of lead as they walked to the checkout window so that Jenny could schedule her surgery. The young woman working there was far too chipper for his taste, especially after the news they'd just received. He was so hurt and angry in that moment, he was tempted to blast the whole goddamn hospital apart just for failing his wife.

"Oh good news!" the woman grinned happily. "We have an opening tomorrow afternoon! Would you like to schedule your surgery for then? Or we can do Monday morning. Either one works!" She blinked bright-eyed at them, completely oblivious to their mood.

Tomorrow afternoon? Jenny thought her whole world was going to be falling down on her and they could do that as soon as tomorrow? She bit her lip as she tried to think. Was that enough time to say. She stopped herself, she wasn't going to say goodbye, but it would be nice to have some extra time just to visit with everyone on her own terms. "Monday morning is better," she said. The world around her seemed distant as she listened to the woman clack away on her computer. Too happy. Everything was too happy.

"Okie doke! Be here at seven sharp and remember not to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before!" she grinned and handed Jenny a little card with the date and time on it. "You all have a nice day."

Piccolo all but dragged Jenny out of that hospital and scooped her into his arms as he took to the sky. He knew she could fly on her own, but he just wanted to hold her in that moment. He flew as fast and hard as he could towards their home, trying to keep his eyes as wide open as possible to hide the tears that burned at the corners of his eyes. He didn't understand this. This wasn't fair. Not only was he not going to have a son, but now he could lose his wife. He thought he could literally feel his heart breaking. It hurt in a way he'd never felt before. He tucked his face into his mate's hair and breathed in the flowery scent of her shampoo. He didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to fix this. Unless… "Dende," he breathed. "We'll talk to Dende. Maybe he has another solution."

Jenny shook her head, "I don't know, maybe he can." She said sadly, turning her face into his neck and breathing him in. Gods, what if she never got to do this again? She bit her lip as tears sprung to her eyes and she cried.

* * *

><p>Dende could feel his brother's urgency as he approached the Lookout. He turned towards Rose, his newlywed wife. "I have a bad feeling that the hospital did not tell them what they wanted to hear." He sighed gripped his staff a little bit harder. If there was one thing he knew about Piccolo, it was that he didn't take bad information well.<p>

"Oh dear," Rose breathed as Piccolo and Jenny landed on the Lookout. She could see the tears in Jenny's eyes and the worry in Piccolo's. She reached over and squeezed Dende's hand as Piccolo walked closer, still carrying Jenny in his arms.

Piccolo finally set his wife down next to him, using more care than was necessary. He stood up straight and fixed his brother with an intense gaze. "Dende, we have a problem," he stated in a firm tone. "Jenny isn't well. I know you say you can't heal illnesses, but this one is serious. There has to be something you can do." He didn't like the way the last sentence came out, his voice softer, almost pleading for his brother to fix this.

Dende kept his stoic expression, but inwardly winced as he could easily pick up on the word that was crossing his mind. "Cancer," he said quietly and looked at them both carefully. "I am so very very sorry, but you know that there is nothing that I can do. Cancer cells, they are tricky. Even if I could heal her, my magic cannot tell the difference between the bad cells and the good cells. It is just not how it is done."

Jenny felt her soul being crushed a little more with each word. She wrapped her arms around her middle, tears welling up in her eyes. Failure. She was a failure. Poseidon had been right. What good was she if she couldn't even give Piccolo a son.

Rose gripped Dende's hand tighter as fear flooded through her for her sister-in-law. "Oh Jenny," she breathed. "I'm so sorry." She didn't know what else to say. It broke her heart to think of everything that Jenny was going to go through.

Piccolo grit his teeth, a muscle ticking in his jaw. "Can't you even try?!" he growled out at his brother. "PLEASE?" He drew a long breath through his nose, trying to control his temper. "It is a rare thing that I ask a favor of you. There has to be SOMETHING. Please? Please?!" To hell with appearances and pride. This was about Jenny and her health. "Dende, please?"

The Guardian closed his eyes, asking for strength from the Mother. Not to heal his sister-in-law, but to tell his brother the harsh truth of it all, "Brother, you ask of a favor that I cannot grant. It is not within my power. You must put your faith in the medicine of men to help her." He looked at Jenny, "I can help you heal after the surgery, but taking away this sickness is one thing I cannot do. I would if I were able, believe me. I would do it in a heartbeat."

Jenny nodded numbly, her fingers clenching into her shirt at her abdomen. What would it feel like when it was gone? To know that she would never again be able to carry a child, Piccolo's child. She felt like crying all over again.

"Trust the humans to take care of my wife?" Piccolo asked in a dangerous tone. "They can't even take care of themselves." He was furious at his brother, even though Dende did not deserve any of it. He reached over and grasped his wife's hand. "Excuse us," he growled and tugged on his wife's hand to lead her back to their bedroom.

Jenny allowed herself to be pulled along, trying to give them both a smile as they left, but it was no use. She didn't feel like smiling. She tugged her hand out of Piccolo's when they reached the room. "I'm not made of glass," she said as she climbed onto the bed, barely kicking off her shoes before she curled up, "I'm sorry. I don't know how this happened to me."

Piccolo frowned and tried to swallow the knot in his throat but didn't quite manage it. "I know you're not," he answered. "Is it wrong that I want to treat you that way for just a minute because I don't know what else to do? We both just got devastating news. Life changing news." He slipped off his shoes and crawled into the bed next to her, but didn't touch her yet. "I'm scared too, Jenny."

Jenny turned around on the bed, facing her husband and looking up at him. She had never seen him quite like this before. There was evident nervousness on his face, in his posture. He looked unsure of himself. "No, that's okay that you do that. I just. I don't know what I was expecting to hear today. It wasn't that. It wasn't that I would never be able to have children again." Tears slipped down her cheeks as she spoke out loud and the gravity of the situation hit her. "Piccolo, this scares me so much. What do we tell the girls? Our family? Our friends? This thing in me. It could kill me. I could die on the operating table. I could relapse." She swallowed hard and ran a hand through her hair, wincing as she thought about all those chemotherapy recounts. Would she lose her hair? Would she lose so much weight and just shrivel up and wither away? "I don't know what to do."

He thought his heart stopped at her words. "Wh-what?" he stammered. She could die in surgery? He'd never dealt with such a thing before. In fact, no one he knew had had surgery as far as he was aware. It never crossed his mind that that part could pose a danger to her. It was Thursday and she was going in for surgery on Monday. Did he really only possibly have three days left with her? He felt cheated, enraged, but most of all terrified. He scrubbed at his eye with the heel of his hand as his eyes burned and prickled. It was a sensation he wasn't used to. But the fear and the heartbreak of losing his wife was too much. "Don't," he choked out, his voice cracking. "You can't. I won't let you die. You're… you're my…" He couldn't even finish his sentence as a tear spilled down his cheek and his lungs seized up and it felt like his heart ripped in two.

Jenny's eyes widened as she saw the tears slipping down her husbands cheeks. They looked like raindrops sliding down his pristine, jade skin. She reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand, astounded as more slipped down his face. She brushed her thumb over his cheek before she dropped her fingers to the mark on his neck. Tears gathered in her own eyes as she watched him cry. She wanted to tell him she would be alright, but she wasn't sure if that was the truth.

Piccolo gently pulled her to him and turned her so that her back was to his chest as he curled his tall frame around her. His eyes wrenched shut as he hugged her tightly and his shoulders shook. He wasn't used to feeling this helpless and he loathed himself for it. Crying was an exceptionally rare thing for him. Normally it was easy for him to control his emotions, to suppress them so that he could clearly and calmly work through the problem and come up with a solution. But not today.

The tears poured freely down his face as he wrapped his wife up in his arms and fear curled around his broken heart. They were too young for this. Only in their mid-twenties, he assumed they would grow old together. Or perhaps die in battle. At least that sort of death served a purpose, to give one's life for the protection of others. Not this. This was pointless to him. Unnecessary. Jenny had done nothing to deserve this. He grit his teeth as he tried to bite back a sob that escaped his throat anyway.

He felt sick. He was heartbroken about the fact that he was never going to have a son of his own. He was scared that he might lose the love of his life to this disease. And most of all, he was angry because there was absolutely nothing he could do to fix it.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>If you're new to our writing, you can visit my profile to find the previous stories in this series. Hopefully you'll be able to jump right into this one if you want, but if you'd like to go back and read what's led up to this point, have at it! Constructive criticism is always appreciated. We love hearing your thoughts on our writing! ~LadyRavenhawk and JC 87


	2. Breaking the News

"Alright, I'm out," Tora announced as he grabbed up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. He was sweaty and sore from the training session that day and he needed a shower. He placed his hands on his hips and leaned far back until his spine popped, then stood straight again and sighed. He wrapped his tail around his waist and grinned. "I'll be back tomorrow to kick your asses again."

Trunks snickered as he turned off the gravity machine. "Yeah, right. Sure you will," he teased back. He looked at the taller Saiyan and shook his head. "It's still weird that you're not living here at Capsule Corp anymore. I think we all got used to you hanging around."

"Ah well," Tora shrugged. He liked Capsule Corp and he still spent a great deal of his time there, but after a year of living there, he'd started to feel like he needed to have his own place. He'd decided to make Earth his home now and it was time he settled in properly. He'd managed to save up enough money by entering minor martial arts tournaments that he could now afford the nice apartment in a building only a few blocks away from Capsule Corp. The timing had been perfect, really. Just as Bulma had started helping him look for his own place, Rose announced that she and Dende were officially engaged and she'd moved to the Lookout shortly thereafter. It was only a few days later when Tora moved into her old apartment. It was just right for him. Just a simple one-bedroom place where he could eat, sleep, and shower. And lots of wallspace for the finely-crafted bookshelves he paid Tien to make for him. Tora had two earthling weaknesses: raw steak and good books.

"I like that little apartment," Tora admitted. "It'll do for now." He adjusted the bag on his shoulder and gave a wave as he headed for the door. "See ya, Trunks. Bye, Prince."

Vegeta gave a nod as Tora left and headed into the house with his son in tow. "Your sister is here," he said as he sensed Jenny's energy in the living room of the house. While not biologically his daughter, Vegeta considered Jenny as his own and referred to her as such and no one dared question it. She was the one who had pushed all of them to see themselves as a family now. Even though they were different species and different races from around the globe, and even different times when you considered Trunks, the Z-Warriors were family. It was still sort of an odd concept to the prince to have so many people care about him and for him to care about them in return, but there you had it.

A small smile pulled at Vegeta's lips as he entered the living room, but it quickly faded as he saw the somber expression on Jenny's face, the fearful look in her dark brown eyes. He steeled his nerve, prepared to hear the worst. "Go get your mother," he said quietly to his son, who gave a nod and hurried away. "Jennifer, what is it?"

Jenny didn't know what to say. She had never before had a father that cared about her well being when she showed up at the house in tears. Now that she was faced with a father who did care, she wasn't sure what she would say… could say in his face, " Daddy…" She started, intending to finish with "I have cancer" but she stopped short, he might not even know what that means.

Vegeta's concern grew and he hurried over to her side and sat next to her on the couch. Jenny usually wasn't a weepy sort of person and for her to look at him with those tear-filled eyes sent a jolt of fear down his spine. This was bad. Whatever it was, it had shaken her. His mind went all sorts of places, thinking about the Atlantians that they had battled for so many years now, of Fasha who was still lurking out there somewhere, of the Greek gods they'd just got done battling. "Tell me what it is," he said in a low, but firm tone. "Are your children okay? Is Piccolo? Are you?"

Jenny nodded, tears slipping down her cheeks once again, "Yeah, Piccolo and my children are alright." She looked at him with a serious expression on her face. How did she tell this terrible information to her father? To the man she considered her father. It was a formality really. If someone called you daughter, cared for you, changed your diapers (figuratively speaking), did they not deserve to be ones father?

Vegeta took her hand in his calloused one and looked at her with an expression that was a strange mix of curiosity and sternness. "Out with it," he said. "Whatever it is, we'll deal with it." He grabbed her chin with his free hand and turned her face towards him before he roughly brushed the tears from her eyes with his thumb. "Stop that. You're a Saiyan," he said and poked the brand on her shoulder, "Now tell me what is bothering you."

He looked up just as Trunks came into the living room with Bulma and Catie right behind him. They all looked concerned and Vegeta waved them over so that whatever Jenny had to tell them wouldn't have to be repeated a million times over.

Jenny frowned, but tried not to show it. She hadn't planned on explaining her situation to her ENTIRE family at that exact moment. It was personal! Wasn't it? Wasn't it supposed to between family members? Family-in-laws? She didn't know, but shook her head anyways and said in a small voice, "I have cancer." She paused, not sure if she could include everything that entailed, "I… I can't have children any more. On Monday, they are going to take the cancer out of my body. Since the cancer is located in my uterus, that's what they are going to remove."

Vegeta blinked at her, not quite understanding what she was saying. Like Piccolo, he'd heard of the disease, but had never paid it much thought before. "You mean surgery," he said flatly as he tried to absorb all the information she'd just dropped in his lap. He looked at their family; the other three looked horrified. This was more serious than he realized.

"Oh gods," Trunks gasped and grabbed his girlfriend's hand to steady himself. He and Catie thought of Jenny as their sister; he couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He ran a hand through his waist-length hair and turned away and spat curse words. Couldn't they ever catch a goddamn break? There always seemed to be some sort of catastrophe to deal with. If it wasn't someone being kidnapped or crazy gods trying to send the world into oblivion, it was always SOMETHING. But nothing could have prepared him for this. He angrily brushed a tear from his eye.

For once, Catie's normally laughing, joking manner vanished. She felt like she could have been knocked over with a feather. She squeezed back at Trunks' hand and pressed her lips to a thin line. What do you say to something like that? I'm sorry didn't seem to cut it. Her mind raced through a million thoughts until she finally landed on one that didn't sound completely cliche. "What do you need us to do? Trunks and I can watch the girls for you if you want us to," she offered, thinking it was the only thing she could do to help.

Bulma hurried over and moved to sit next to Jenny on her other side, wrapping her arms around her shoulder. Tears brimmed her eyes as she looked at her husband before back at their daughter, "You just tell us what you need, baby. I don't want you to worry about anything but getting better. Do you understand?" She asked, rubbing at her back.

Jenny felt more tears welling up in her eyes and she squeezed Vegeta's hand tightly as she nodded her head, "I was hoping my babies would be at the hospital, you know, just in case something goes wrong." She couldn't stop herself from blubbering the last few words and she leaned over her knees, crying harder.

"They will be," Catie answered quickly. "We'll do whatever you want, sis."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed at Jenny's words as he allowed her to squeeze his hand as hard as she wanted. In case something went wrong? He realized then that she meant in case she died. He squeezed back at her hand and frowned. "How did this happen?" he asked, looking at his wife. "I don't understand the cause of this. Her life is at risk now because of this disease? This doesn't make any sense to me."

Jenny shook her head, "No one knows how it's exactly caused. Abnormal cells just started growing inside of me, replaced the good cells." She shook her head, wiping furiously at the tears that slipped down her face without pause, "No wonder I couldn't get pregnant." She said bitterly.

Bulma reached to the coffee table and grabbed up the box of tissues, offering one to her, "Is the surgery the only thing or are they going to do chemo as well?" She frowned at Jenny's nod, "Oh honey, I'm so sorry to hear all of this. Why can't we just get a break?" She shook her head.

"Chemo?" Vegeta asked. "What is that? Some sort of medication?"

Trunks had to resist the urge to clap a hand to his face. How many years had his father lived here and he still didn't know these sorts of things? He heaved a sigh. "Chemotherapy is a treatment for cancer. They inject a drug into her system through an IV that'll kill off the cells. It's different than just taking some medicine, Father."

Vegeta was trying to understand. He really was. And he was desperate to hear the thing he wanted to hear; that Jenny would be okay. "So you have the surgery, do this treatment and then you're fine, right?" he asked, the firm tone still in his voice. He didn't want to let himself sound worried or confused for fear that it might upset her even more.

Bulma looked over at her mate, giving him a small smile that he was trying to understand, trying to simplify it so he could grasp the concept better, "It's a little more complicated than that, but should everything go right, Jenny will be as good as new. You will be okay, hon. We are going to help you through this every step of the way. Just don't be afraid to ask us if you need something."

Jenny nodded, rubbing at her eyes. Hearing her dad simplify the disease made it seem less serious than it really was, but maybe it would be easier if she thought about it that way, "I'm not sure how long I will be on chemotherapy. I think it just depends on how quickly it kills off any lingering cells."

Vegeta felt a little better at that. Jenny was tough. Jenny was strong. She'd been through hell and back several times over in her life and he knew she was a survivor. "You're a Saiyan," he said firmly. "You're going to be just fine. Remember that. And whatever you need from us, you have but to ask. You know that." He knew there was more to this than he understood, but part of his mind just couldn't wrap around it. This disease was bizarre to him, how could it just invade her body like that and cause so much destruction? In his mind, she was his daughter, a Saiyan of royalty and to hell with what anyone else had to say about it. Even as he tried to remind himself that physically she was human, his mind just couldn't accept that.

Jenny nodded, feeling a numbness spreading inside of her. She felt sick, felt like the whole world was crushing in on her, "I...I'm scared." She said in a voice that was barely louder than a whisper.

Vegeta blinked at her. He never thought he'd heard her sound so vulnerable in his life and it made his stomach clench painfully. Jenny never admitted defeat, never showed weakness in that way. He sat up straighter and stared at her as for the first time since she'd made her announcement, real fear curled around his heart. "This really is serious, isn't it," he said, his statement not quite a question. He looked across her to Bulma, "What do we do?" He was at a loss now. Usually when someone around him looked like giving up, he would bark at them to straighten up, to knock off feeling sorry for themselves, but that wouldn't work here. He didn't know what to do.

Bulma rubbed at Jenny's back as she started crying again. She looked over at her husband and shook her head, "There's nothing we can do. Dende can't heal this kind of stuff. We are going to have to trust the doctor's doing her surgery and hope that they get it all. This surgery has a fairly high rate of survival from what I've read in the past." She looked at her daughter, "You are going to be alright, sweetheart." She swallowed hard and stood up, looking to her other daughter and son, "Keep her company. She's staying for dinner. I'm going to go cook up something. Chocolate cake and something. I don't know. Bacon! Bacon is a good comfort food." She wandered out of the room and towards the kitchen.

Trunks nodded and moved to take his mother's place at Jenny's side. He fought the urge to let his tears fall. He was scared for her. "Mom's right, you know. You're going to be okay. It might not feel like it right now, but you will. I promise," he said softly and pulled her into his arms to hug her tightly. "We love you. It's all going to be okay."

* * *

><p>Piccolo couldn't just stand around the Lookout while Jenny went to talk to Vegeta. His mind was in a million places and there was just too much nervous energy building up inside him. He needed to vent, to talk to someone, to just do something before he exploded. After making sure that Rose didn't mind watching the girls, he headed to the first place he could think of. One of the few places that made him feel peaceful. The cabin.<p>

He landed in the yard a short time later and frowned. With his preoccupation over Jenny, he'd forgotten that Tien and his mates had their own problems to deal with. The cabin was still in a state of rebuild and he could see that it was going to be a bit bigger than before. The floor was built and part of the walls and there seemed to be a second room added onto the first.

Sabriena was sweeping away some of the sawdust from the much bigger front porch they were adding onto the new cabin, but paused when Piccolo landed. "Hey," she said, surprised to see him. He looked even more sour than usual.

"Are your husbands home?" he asked.

She pointed over near the treeline where their building supplies laid. "Over there."

He gave her a nod and walked over to the two men who were looking over the plans Tien had drawn up for the new cabin. "Am I interrupting?" he asked, the stoic expression back on his face. He really didn't want to break down in front of his friends, but he feared he might. He swallowed harshly as he fought to keep his composure.

Goku paused as he was going over the next set of instructions that Tien had laid out in front of him to look up at their friend. There was something wrong, he could tell. His friend's voice was thicker, heavier than usually. How Tien had sounded not long ago when they learned the dragon wasn't able to rebuild their house, "Hey Piccolo! What's up? Are you alright?" He looked back down at the plans and then back up, "We are actually at the perfect point to be interrupted, we were just about to begin building up the walls so we can get a foundation going for the new loft." He said happily.

"Yeah, I'm," Piccolo paused in his lie, unable to say it. He wasn't fine. Nothing was okay in that moment. He paused and shook his head as he looked down at the ground. He shouldn't have come here. Saying it aloud would only make it worse, wouldn't it? Make it seem more real. More dangerous. Like he was sealing his wife's fate by telling their friends what was happening to her.

Tien looked up in concern. "What is it, Piccolo?" he asked in a kind tone. Something was bothering the Namek, he could tell. Expressing their emotions was not something he or Piccolo were good at and Tien understood that all too well. Piccolo had come to him and made him talk when he'd been attacked in his own home, injured and helpless. Now it was his turn to help Piccolo. "Talk to us."

Goku looked at Tien for a moment before he pushed away from the table and walked over to Piccolo, seeing the tenseness in his friends form and his mind started clicking as he looked around. If Piccolo visited, it was usually with Jenny or his girls, but he didn't see any of them. He spoke softly, "Is it a personal problem?" He asked, thinking maybe his friend was having some trouble performing in the bedroom. He remembered that the Namek and his wife were trying for a son.

"Not exactly," Piccolo answered and finally looked up at his friends again. He swallowed once more before he spoke, deciding that he might as well just get it over with. "There's not really an easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it. Jenny has cancer." The words felt like a slap to his face even as he spoke them. He shoved his hands into his pockets as his fingers curled into fists. He was so angry at the situation and so scared of the future, he didn't know what to do.

Of all the things he thought might have been bothering Piccolo, that was not what Tien had expected to hear. He felt like the air had been knocked from his lungs. "Wh-what?" he gasped. "But… but she's too young for that, isn't she? I mean, she seems healthy! You can't be serious." He rubbed at the back of his head and turned away for a second, trying to wrap his mind around it all. This was going to crush Sabriena. This would crush all of them if they lost Jenny. She was kind to all of them, she'd helped them in so many ways and sacrificed so much for their family. "Did they catch it in time? What kind of cancer is it?"

Piccolo thought for a moment before he answered, "I can't remember what they called it. She's going in for surgery on Monday. They have to remove the cancer. We can't have any more children." He frowned and looked down at the ground again.

Goku's eyes widened, darting over to Sabriena who was still sweeping away the sawdust on their porch. His eyes went back to Piccolo, he felt tears gathering in his own, "What, what do you mean you can't have any more children? It has something to do with her, down there?" He shuddered, surgery. He hated hospitals, hated what they represented, needles and everything that went with it, "What are they cutting out, Piccolo? How dangerous is this procedure?" He asked a little bit louder than he probably should have.

Sabriena looked up at Goku's words. "Procedure?" she asked loudly and set her broom down as she walked over. "The hell is going on?" she demanded.

Piccolo sighed. "Her uterus. It's a hys.. hyster…" He stumbled over the words.

"Hysterectomy?" Sabriena offered. "Who? Jenny?! I… but why? I thought she wanted more kids?"

Tien walked over to Sabriena and took her hand. "Jenny has cancer, sweetheart. She's going in for surgery." He cringed at the terrified look that filled Sabriena's eyes. "She's going to be okay," he said quickly. "That's what doctors are for, right? They'll take care of her."

Sabriena shook her head violently and turned away from them, but didn't leave. She crossed her arms over her chest and went silent as the information rolled around in her mind.

"I don't know how dangerous it is compared to other surgeries," Piccolo answered Goku's second question. He looked up and met the Saiyan's eyes as tears brimmed in his own, but he refused to let them fall. "She said she could die in surgery, so…" He trailed off and shrugged in a defeated sort of way.

Goku reached out, putting a hand on Piccolo's shoulder, "Well, you know from what I understand, any surgery has that risk. Someone who goes in for something minor could also have that risk. They do tests and stuff before they go in to make sure that she will be alright. If the risk of the surgery outweighs whatever cancer she has, they wouldn't do it, would they?" He scratched at his head, "Gosh, I can't even imagine what she's going through. What you are going through. I'm so sorry Piccolo. Jenny is going to be alright, you know how strong she is. She's a fighter. A survivor. You know that!" He squeezed the shoulder he held onto, "Is there anything we can do for you both? Just name it."

Piccolo swallowed the knot in his throat and asked the only thing he could think of in that moment. "Spar with me?" he asked thickly. He had to get rid of the energy coursing through his system that made his hands sweat and tremble. The energy that made his stomach coil and his head hurt. "I just need to blow off some steam."

Tien gave a nod and walked away from their building supplies and out into the yard. He turned back towards his husband and his friend as he lowered himself into a defensive stance. "Come on, Piccolo. Goku and I can take it. Don't hold back on us."

Goku looked at Sabriena a moment, "Just a sec guys, you can start without me, I'll jump in." He walked over to his wife and reached out for her shoulder, turning her around, "Hey you." He looked at her carefully, he recognized that look on her face. The quiet as she drew into herself, "I know that look." He said as he cupped her cheek.

Sabriena clenched her jaw and tightened her grip on her own arms as she looked up at her Saiyan husband. "I can't do this," she whispered to him. "I can't lose Jenny. I don't… I…" she stammered as her breathing quickened, her heart racing in her chest. "I've always had Jenny and Lindsey! If we lose Jenny, if she dies, what the hell am I supposed to do?! She's my best friend! We've been friends since we were little! She's more like a sister to me." She felt like she couldn't breathe and she swallowed harshly as she fought the urge to pull away from him and just go hide for awhile.

Goku pulled her close, leaning down to kiss the top of her head as he held her securely, "You aren't going to lose her, Sabriena. You know that. You know how much Jenny means to all of us. Remember our dysfunctional, big family?" He pulled back and tipped her chin up, "You should have seen what losing you did to Jenny and Lindsey. It nearly tore them apart. You have to keep hope strong and everything will be alright. If she is falling down, you and Lindsey need to catch her." He leaned back and scratched his head, "Does that make sense? Sorry, you know how I ramble…"

She gave him a sad smile. "I know what you're trying to say," she said softly. She stood on tiptoe and gave him a little kiss on the lips. "You go spar with them. I won't, you know, pull away this time. Just give me a little bit to process, okay? I just need to deal with it for a minute in my way." She hugged his waist for a moment and buried her face in his chest. "Just for a little bit."

Goku hugged her tightly to him, closing his eyes as he relished in the feeling of having her there in his arms, "Alrighty. You do what you need to do, we're here if you need us. And if you want to go visit with them, just let me know. I'll take you myself." He promised for he kissed the top of her head and pulled away. He turned around and powered up, flying after the other two so he could join in.

Sabriena watched them for a minute before she calmly walked back over to the cabin and started viciously sweeping the front porch. She felt like screaming and on the inside, she was. She couldn't imagine her life without Jenny. She remembered Dende's words, that if someone died of natural causes, they couldn't be brought back.

She wished their home was built so she had something more to clean. She didn't know what to do with herself. She supposed she could go spar with the men, but she and Piccolo still had that awkward dislike between them for the most part and she didn't want to intrude. He needed time with Goku and Tien and she understood that. If nothing else, they respected each other enough that way.

She huffed when there was nothing left to sweep and angrily slammed her broom down on the porch before she looked around. Laundry. There was laundry to be washed. She hurried down to the river and filled her basin before she dragged it back up near their little camp they'd set up. At least the weather was hot so they could sleep in the tent while the cabin was being rebuilt. She threw herself on the ground and began to scrub the clothes as hard as she could, trying to distance herself from the fear and pain she felt in her heart.


	3. No Regrets

Trunks ran a hand through his hair as he finished getting ready for bed, thinking over everything that had happened that day. He looked over at his girlfriend, who was brushing her hair in front of the mirror. He smiled and walked over to her, leaning over and kissing her neck carefully, smiling at her in the mirror, "Crazy day, huh?"

Catie set the brush down and sighed. "No shit," she answered and stared at his reflection over her shoulder. Her head felt so busy, her mind going through a million different scenarios since they'd learned about Jenny's cancer. Her bottom lip trembled and she shook her head. "Trunks, I'm scared," she whispered and covered her face with her hands. She hated to admit it, it made her feel weak, but she couldn't hold it in any longer. She'd done well to keep her composure while Jenny was there and even after her sister left, she'd saved face in front of Vegeta. But now that it was just herself and Trunks alone in the bedroom, she felt like that wall was crumbling.

Trunks nodded and held her close as she cried, feeling his own tears welling up in his eyes. Jenny was a sister to him. "It's too close to home for us. I never would have thought that she would, you know, end up with something like cancer. I mean, we are Saiyans. Warriors. It seems so stupid." He saw the tears slipping down her face and he picked her up, carrying her over to their bed and settled her down on the plush comforter. He sat down next to her and laid down with her. "She's going to be okay," he said while his mind whispered, _'I hope.'_

Catie stared at him with watery, intense eyes. "She will be," she said, reassuring herself more than him. She laid on her side, one arm tucked under her head, and she grabbed his hand with her free one. "She's not the only thing I'm scared about, though," she said quietly as she stared into his brilliant blue eyes. "Jenny's healthy. She's strong. And still this happened. I mean, something like this could happen to any of us then, couldn't it? What if it was you? What if it was me? I just, I don't know, I feel like we're wasting time or something."

Trunks blinked at her, reaching out with his free hand to cup her cheek. He brushed her hair behind her ear. "Wasting time? Does it really feel like that? Ever since, you know, that mess that happened with us. I thought we were living it well. What were you thinking about? Marriage? Mating? Maybe some kids of our own?" he asked, feeling a nervousness creeping into him as he thought about those things. He loved this woman. He couldn't see his life without her in it, but what else could be in store for them.

"I didn't mean like being with you is a waste of time, don't take it like that," she corrected him. "I meant, you know, Jenny has kids. Lindsey and Gohan have kids. They're all mated and we, well, we haven't really talked about it. Do you want kids? Should we take the next step or should we just keep on like we are right now? I don't even know what I'm trying to say. All I know is that this shit with Jenny has scared the ever-loving fuck out of me and I don't want you to wake up one day and think that you missed out on something. Or for life to throw us a curveball and the next thing you know, all these options we thought we had were suddenly taken away. You know?" She knew she was talking entirely too fast and she didn't know if she was making any sense at all.

Trunks listened to her, his heart beating faster. What she said was the truth, "Catie, you know I can't see my life without you in it." He smiled at her, "You want to take the next step? You want to be my mate for life, babe?" He moved her, rolling her on top of him as he looked up at her, "You know, Mom or Grandma might start asking for more grandkids. Paige might not like that if Dad's attention is suddenly torn." He smirked at the thought, "I don't want to lose you, I don't want you to lose me. You know? Whatever you want to do, I'm all for it."

Catie felt breathless as he asked her to be his mate. Her fear seemed to calm as excitement replaced it. "I can't see my life without you either, Trunks," she answered and cupped his face in both of her hands. "I love you. Yes, I want to be your mate!" she grinned happily before she smothered his mouth with her own. She gave an excited little squeal against his lips before she pulled back, her eyes dancing. "Are you sure?"

Trunks smiled widely at her and instead of answering, he reached for her nightgown, pulling it up and over her head, exposing her to him. He leaned up and captured a breast in his mouth, tonguing around the nipple he found, nibbling lightly. His other hand reached up and pinched the other one as he moaned against her. His body was so attuned to her, he was hardening already at the thought of marking her as his own. "Should have done this sooner," he moaned around the flesh in his mouth.

Catie threw her head back and hissed as his mouth teased her sensitive flesh. "Fuck yes we should have," she answered. She pressed her hips down on him and moaned as she felt his hard length through the soft material of his pajama pants. She ground herself against him, gasping and moaning lightly at the feel of him. "Oh gods, I want you." She reached down and slid the pants down his hips until he could kick them off. She wrapped her fingers around the hard shaft and stroked it, watching his reaction as he sucked at her breast.

Trunks couldn't stop the moan that escaped his throat as he bucked up into her grasp as she curled her amazing fingers around him. "You are amazing, that feels so good," he groaned out as he pulled back from her and reached down between her legs, moaning at the slickness he felt there, "But I want you, I want to be inside you." He moaned as he pushed a digit into her, stroking her carefully. "I am yours, you are mine," he said as he reached up with his other hand to stroke at the side of her neck, feeling her pulse throbbing beneath the skin.

Catie cried out as his finger pressed into her, touching her exactly the way she liked it. "I've always been yours," she breathed as she wrapped her hand around the base of his cock and steadied him before she impaled herself on him. "Oh gods!" she cried out as he filled her. She gasped as his long, thick length made her tremble and ache in the most amazing way. She leaned over him as she began to ride his cock. "You're amazing," she moaned.

Trunks let his head fall back against the pillows as she surrounded him. "Gods, that feels great," he moaned as he reached up and curled his fingers around her hips and lifted her up only to draw her back down as he thrust up into her, "Gods, we should do it in the shower again. Press you up against the wall." He reached down to thumb at her clit as he thrust into her. "Holding the shower head right here," he moaned as she rode him. He reached up and drew her down so she was draped over him as he moved her hair off of her neck and sucked at the delicate flesh.

A shiver ran down Catie's spine as he sucked at the place where she knew he would mark her. She felt nervous and excited. This was really happening. She felt a swell of love for him fill her in that moment. She rubbed herself harder against his thumb, crying out from sheer pleasure. She loved how attentive he was, how he knew just the right buttons to push at just the right time. She bit her lip at the exquisite memory of the shower. "You know I love that," she purred in his ear as she ran her hand through his long, silky hair to expose his neck as well. She lowered her face to his neck and nibbled on his skin, wondering when she would feel the urge to bite him. She clenched down on him, making him feel even bigger within her and she moaned against his throat.

Trunks saw stars popping before his eyes and he groaned out. "I'm not going to last much longer, babe," he said against her, his cock throbbing as he thrust into her. The mere thought of marking her was spurring him on. She was right, they should have done this that night in the shower. The night they made up. He would make it up to her, he had an entire lifetime with her to make it up. "Come with me," he moaned out as he slammed up into her, holding her down over his cock as he came, pumping his essence deep inside of her. He felt the urge as he smelled her skin, felt the pulse beneath his lips. He bared his teeth and bit down deeply into her, tasting blood on his tongue that made a second orgasm wash over him, his cock jerking inside of her as he came again.

Catie screamed in pain and pleasure as Trunks' teeth pierced her skin. But the urge to bite him back hit her a moment later and without thinking, she sank her teeth into his flesh. Her eyes rolled in her head as the most intense orgasm took her. She swallowed down the blood that spilled across her tongue as her body ached and throbbed over his cock. His hot essence poured into her, filling her and she bounced herself harder on him, determined to draw out every last bit that she could.

She finally felt him relax beneath her and she collapsed over him as she released her bite on his neck. She pulled back just slightly to admire the mark left behind. She smiled; it was clean and deeply cut and she felt an entirely new bond to him in that moment. "Oh wow," she breathed and grinned at him, blood still in her teeth. She pressed her lips to his in a lingering kiss before she pulled back and smiled at him again.

Trunks chuckled at her as he held her close, licking carefully at the mark on her neck. An odd sensation settled over him to do so until the blood stopped flowing. He followed her suit and kissed her, their blood mingling together on their tongues. It was heady, almost as if he was drunk off of her. "Wow," he echoed and smiled widely at her, feeling a warmth growing in his chest as a connection grew between them, stronger than anything he had felt before. He was suddenly thankful that they had waited to do this. If they had done this before he had been put under that spell with that other woman… He shuddered in disgust as he thought about it. This was a clean start for both of them.

Catie laid her head on his chest, listening to the thundering of his heart. She smiled and traced the Saiyan brand on his chest with her fingertips. Her Saiyan prince, even if he didn't go around boasting about his title. She nipped playfully at his nipple and giggled when he jumped. She worked her muscles over his semi-hard flesh still buried inside her as she propped herself up on his chest. "How about a shower?" she asked suggestively as she wagged her eyebrows at him.

Trunks grinned at her, thumbing at the mark on her neck. "You are a very dirty little girl," he purred at her and he sat up, kissing at her as he wrapped his arms around her. "Mmm, I think we can wash that right up."

Catie tucked her head under his chin and wrapped her legs around his waist as he climbed out of the bed. She felt safe. She'd never really allowed herself to be taken care of before, she was far too independent for that, but at the moment, it comforted her and she liked it. It was okay to let him care for her every now and then. She hissed when they stepped into the shower and the hot water hit her skin and stung at the fresh mark. "I love you, Trunks," she whispered as she licked at the bleeding mark on his neck. "Gods, I want to do so many things to you."

"I love you, too," he answered. Trunks moaned against her as he pushed her up against the wall and pushed back into her before he licked at her skin. "Mmm, well spoken," he purred as he reached behind her and grabbed up the shampoo and popped open the cap and carefully maneuvered around to put them into the hot spray of the water. He cursed and slipped out of her, turning her around and lathered up her hair, pushing his cock between her thighs, groaning out as he did. "Mmm, you feel so good," he said as his fingers slipped through her wet strands.

She leaned back into the touch of his hands and pressed her hips back against his, letting his length slide easily between her legs. She reached down and grasped him, stroking his length as he washed her hair. She reached back with her other hand and found the scar at the base of his back and teased the sensitive skin. She didn't care about her own pleasure. All she wanted to do was to take care of him, to make sure he was satisfied as many times over as he could stand it. An idea popped in her mind and before he could react, she spun around and dropped to her knees, taking his length into her mouth. "Gods, you taste good," she purred before she swallowed him down again.

Trunks' eyes widened in surprise for a moment before he smiled down at her. "You are brilliant, have I ever told you that?" he asked as he began to wash her hair again as he leisurely thrust into her mouth, loving the way her hot lips wrapped around him, sucking him just the way he liked it. He reached up and gripped the shower head, using it to wash away the suds in her hair. A wicked idea hit him as he washed her hair and he grinned. "Hang on for a sec," he said. He smiled as he reached down and grasped her ankles carefully. "Brace yourself, baby," he said as he picked up her legs and lifted her up, bending her backwards, wrapping her legs around his head, grinning as he looked down at her glistening core in front of him. "Mmm, that's better," he said as he moved the showerhead to spray the delicious hot water over her folds, her clit. He thrust his hips forward, his hard cock, pressing himself deeper into her mouth.

He moaned at the amazing scent that hit his nose, his mouth watering at the feast before him and he leaned forward, burying his face into her, his lips sealing around her little gem. The fresh clean water mixing with her sweet juices was nothing short of amazing.

Catie screamed around the flesh in her mouth as she was suddenly flipped upside down. She hooked her knees over his shoulders to steady herself. Thank god for those yoga poses she'd been doing or she didn't think she'd ever be able to bend her back like that. She felt vulnerable, completely exposed as the showerhead hit her clit, some of the spray hitting her breasts. It felt incredible.

She moaned around his cock as he licked at her body, his soft tongue mixing with the sharp spray of the shower. She could feel the ache building up in her and she sucked eagerly at his cock, encouraging him to keep doing what he was doing. Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods! She moaned wantonly as she went over that edge, her legs trembling, and she sucked harder at him. She squirmed on his shoulders, her body almost felt too sensitive after that orgasm, but he held her steady as he continued to thrust into her mouth and the next moment, another orgasm had her screaming in bliss.

Trunks moaned against her flesh as her essence spilled around his tongue, only making him want more and more. Her moans, her cries, that hot mouth around his flesh. It was so much, too much at once and he thrust his tongue deeply into her core as he came, his seed spilling down her throat. Gods she was amazing, bending like this in his arms. It was bliss, it was perfection. He moaned as he finally pulled the spray away from her before he reluctantly pulled back from her, his face glistening with her moisture. "Yum," he purred.

Catie swallowed down the hot cum and licked her lips. "Ditto," she breathed as he carefully flipped her over to stand on her own feet again. She wobbled and grabbed onto his arm, laughing at her own dizziness. "That was awesome!" she gasped, a big grin splitting her face. "Where on earth did you come up with that one? You've been watching porn without me again," she accused teasingly.

Trunks chuckled, "And we have all night, all of our lives together to try out more. Mmm, we should watch some more later if you think you are up for it." He grinned.

Catie's eyes lit up. "Oooo! That sounds like fun," she giggled. She kissed him and ran her hands over his water-slicked skin. "Gods, you are sexy," she purred and licked at his chest. She smiled up at him and reached behind her to turn off the water. "Movie time, then?" She loved being playful with him, even though she took the mating seriously. She still felt giddy about that.

Trunks nodded, grinning at her, and picked her up as they stepped out of the hot shower and steam billowed around them. He set her down on the bathroom rug, grabbed a fluffy towel, and proceeded to dry his mate off. Mate. He smiled at that and took care to dry every inch of her creamy skin before he quickly patted himself dry.

He gave her a mischievous look before he hauled her over his shoulder, giving her ass a playful swat. "What should we watch then?" he said as he teased her slick folds with his fingers a moment before he walked out into their bedroom and hefted her onto the bed.

Catie squealed and giggled as she bounced on the bed. "Whatever turns you on, baby," she answered seductively as she reclined back and let her knees fall open, spreading herself wide to him. She teasingly thrusted her hips up into the air and giggled again. Her eyes roamed over his naked form, drinking in the chiseled lines of his muscular body. "Fuck, you are sexy," she repeated. It was like she was seeing him for the first time all over again and butterflies erupted in her chest.

Trunks' lust flared up again, his cock giving a twitch at the sight of her splayed like that. "You are better than any porn we could watch," he said in a low voice, but he flicked on the TV anyway. He crawled onto the bed between her legs and licked his way up her body before he rolled to his side and reclined on the bed with a hand behind his head as he pressed the number for the channel he wanted. He smiled as soft moans filled the room and a woman impaling herself on a hard cock appeared on the screen.

He reached out for his mate and turned her around so she was facing the television, her back to him and positioned her over his hard length. "Best seat in the house, lover," he purred before he guided her down, hissing out as her incredible heat engulfed him. He only got harder as he watched her body spread for him, taking him in so deeply.

Catie moaned as her body was filled by him again. She pressed herself down, gyrating her hips over his as her eyes went to the screen. There was something almost taboo about watching the porn with him that just inflamed her desire all the more. She bounced herself on his cock and hissed in pleasure as he stretched her, pressing against all the right places. "Oh gods, Trunks," she whispered loudly as the moans and cries on the screen became louder. She bit her lip as she watched, moaning loudly at the display before her.

Trunks groaned at the feeling of her heat over him as she began to fuck herself on his cock. Her body squeezed him almost as tightly as her hands could. He smirked and reached up, massaging the still fresh bite mark at the crook of her neck while he reached down, sliding a finger along the firm crease of her body before he reached around and pinched her clit between his fingers, rolling the little hard nub around.

"Oh FUCK!" Catie cried out as he mercilessly pinched her clit. She grit her teeth and bounced harder on his cock as she reached down between his legs to cup his balls. She rolled the soft orbs in her fingers and squeezed them. Jolts of pleasure shot through her system as he roughly rolled the sensitive nub of flesh between her legs. She'd learned ever since she'd taken the Saiyan brand that she had much more Saiyan-like tendencies. "Harder," she begged, loving the mix of pleasure and slight pain. "Harder, baby!"

Trunks couldn't stifle his cry of pleasure as his mate cupped him in her hand and he gladly complied, pinching and tugging harshly on her clit as he eagerly thrust up into her body. "Yeah, you are so good, so perfect. You can take it, can't you? You love this," he ground out as he had to clench down on his self control; he was so close to that edge again even though he had come so many times that night. "You have no idea how much you turn me on, baby. You can handle it, can't you? Look at that woman on the screen, she's falling apart and you are still going strong."

Trunks' words only turned her on all the more. "You know I can take it," she gasped out as he tormented the most sensitive part of her body. "Oh fuck," she gasped again, nearly sounding like a sob as she slammed herself down harder and faster on his body. The pain radiated from her clit, turning into a pleasure of the most exquisite kind. She gripped his balls a little tighter, daring to scratch at him with her nails as her free hand went to her breast to pinch her own nipple. She licked her lips as she watched the couple on the TV, the hard cock brutally thrusting into the woman's body. "You can fuck me harder than they could ever dream of," she moaned out. "They've got nothing on us."

Trunks was losing himself, pain melting into delicious hot pleasure that surged through his entire body. "Fuck! I'm not going to last much longer," he moaned out, thrusting up into her harder than before. He leaned up, using his other hand as he reached around her and touched their connection, their hands touching each other. He kissed her back as he pushed a finger in alongside himself, moaning at the tightness of the heat surrounding him, "Mmm, you feel so good."

Catie whimpered as he stretched her body to the brink. Oh, she would pay for this in the morning. She knew she would be sore and achy and she loved it. And still she wanted more. "Go super for me, baby," she begged breathlessly as she pulled on his balls, kneading them in her hand. She drove herself down harder on his cock and his finger. "I don't want to be able to walk in the morning. Fuck me like you mean it!"

Trunks felt a smile tugging at the corner of his lips and he withdrew his finger from her and gripped her hips, holding her down over his cock. He focused, roaring as he upped his power level. The energy in the room grew hotter, his long hair lifting from his back and flashing golden as he changed. His muscles bulged and he gasped out as he felt himself grow impossibly large inside of his mate as he finished. He moaned a moment before he turned them over, facing away from the TV as he pressed Catie down into the mattress and he set a brutal pace. "Oh my gods, Catie, you feel so good on me. You are so tight. You are so wonderful." He leaned over her as he slid his cock in further and bit at the mark on her neck.

She screamed in delight as he changed their position, taking control of her. She cried out with every thrust of his hips as his cock pounded into her aching core. His teeth on the fresh mark sent violent shivers down her spine. "Oh fuck, Trunks!" she screamed. Her toes curled as he slammed himself into her over and over again. Tears brimmed in her eyes from the pleasure and she clawed at the bedsheets as she tried to hold onto her sanity. "Oh fuck, baby, you're gonna make me come! Fuck me hard! Oh gods, YES!" Her eyes rolled in her head and she screamed into the mattress as she came, her body jerking harshly beneath him as the waves of ecstasy slammed into her senses.

Trunks came a moment later, his mate's hot body clenching around him, quivering as she came was too much, too good all at once. He roared out as he came, pressing deep within her as he spilled his essence into her, thrusting fervently as he rode out his orgasm. He finally stilled, panting hard before he leaned over her and kissed at her neck, her cheek, anything he could reach. He dropped out of Super Saiyan and relaxed against her. "Mmm, gods," he managed, his brain still mush, "Why didn't you think of that sooner? We've been missing out. I feel cheated. We have so much time to make up for."

Catie panted against the bed as her eyes fell closed and she relished in the weight of her mate's body over her own. She felt sore and raw and she loved it. She turned her face and smiled over her shoulder at him. She thought over his words and gave him a big pout, pushing her bottom lip out. "I'm sorry," she crooned. "I didn't mean to cheat you. You're not going to punish me for it are you?" She blinked her big eyes at him as she wiggled her ass back against his hips. "Although, I probably do deserve it." Lust flamed in her again as she thought about it, her mind fabricating a delicious fantasy in which she turned complete control over to him. Her sex throbbed and contracted around his cock as she whimpered again.

Trunks moaned as she tightened around him and he smirked at her words and he sat up, lifting her off of him, "Yes, you do need to be punished." He purred against her, his cock twitched at the thought. He looked up at the TV, grinning as he saw the woman paddling the man and he got an idea. Without a word, he turned her around and draped her over his legs. Her perfect, round buttocks fit well in his grasp. He rested his hand over her, rubbing affectionately at her smooth skin. He dipped his finger into her slick folds, trailing up and teasing at the ring of puckered flesh there before he pulled away and let his hand mold to the curve of her ass, "You are dripping, you little masochist."

Catie's eyes went wide as her mate laid her over his lap. What had gotten into her? It was as if her every nerve had ignited and anticipated his touch, his next move. Her breasts tingled and ached for him as her core throbbed once more. "I know," she admitted. She wasn't exactly sure what to say, this was new to her, and that made it all the more exciting. She turned her face to look up at him and gave him the most innocent look she could muster.

He lifted his hand and brought it down on her skin, the resounding slap echoed around the room. He felt his cock twitch as he lifted his hand, watching as a splash of red blossomed over her creamy white skin. "Mmm, this looks good on you," he said as he did it again, and again, and again.

Whimpering cries escaped Catie's lips as the sharp slap of his hand landed on her flesh. She felt vulnerable and exposed as she was forced to place her hands on the floor to keep her balance. A hot blush worked its way across her face. There was something embarrassing and totally erotic about it. "OH!" she yelped as his hand landed just a bit lower, his fingers connecting with the inside of her thigh. She shook and trembled over his lap as her center ached for him, the pain only making her more aroused.

Trunks shuddered as he hit close to her center, it seemed as though it were burning hot. Her essence smeared across his hand and he could smell her fragrant aroma in the air. It was sweet and spicy. He craved it. "Bad girls need spankings, don't they? I really should be making you count these out loud," he said as he raised his hand again, making sure to aim lower, hitting her core as well as the tender skin of her thighs. "Look at how much you are dripping," he purred, his cock twitching beneath her, a steady stream of precum dribbling from the tip. Gods, this was a turn on, he thought as he watched her skin turn a rosy red, "You aren't going to be able to walk tomorrow."

Catie's eyes went wide as he slapped her already aching slit. Oh, the delicious pain blossomed into pleasure and made her long to be fucked again. She bit her lip and whimpered as she felt his cock pressing up against her stomach and she wanted nothing more than to impale herself on it and let him fuck her hard while he called her every filthy thing he could think of. She jerked as he spanked her again, his strong hand landing on her center, making it throb. She cried out as he hit her again and she squirmed in his lap. "Please!" she cried out, not exactly sure what she was screaming for. All she knew was that she wanted more, more, more.

Trunks groaned, he didn't know if he could keep this up much longer. Delicious thoughts of everything they could do together, to each other flew through his head. He briefly wondered if some of the things he could think of would make Seventeen and Leelee blush. He smiled and looked down at his mate, pulling his hand away to see the glistening treasure. It was bright red, hot beneath his fingers. "Mmm, you look so good," he said as he stroked his fingers along the abused flesh, watching as white lines followed his fingers only to be swallowed up again by the redness. He picked her up and pushed her onto the bed, laying her on her side as he lifted up one of her legs and draped it over his shoulder as he pushed his aching cock into the impossible inferno that was now her center, "Oh gods, you really loved it, didn't you?"

Catie shrieked in delight as he finally filled her again. "YES!" she answered as tears prickled at the corners of her eyes. Her entire body felt overly sensitive, like it was awakened to his touch. She lifted her hips against him, thrusting up faster than he was, desperate to take all of his cock as she longed for orgasm. "Please fuck me!" she pleaded. "I need you, Trunks. I need your cock. Baby, please." She gave a frustrated sob and tried to buck up harder against him, his thick length shifting just enough inside her to tease her and drive her insane.

Trunks finally took mercy on her and grabbed her other leg and pulled it up over his shoulder as he bent her in half and pounded into her body, loving the velvet heat caressing his aching flesh. He keened as he lowered his head to her shoulder, his hips pistoning his cock in and out of her. It was so perfect, too good. He roared his release as he came, thick white strands pulsing deeply into her body as he cried out.

Catie screamed her pleasure as his orgasm triggered her own. Her body clenched down on his hard shaft as his hot cum filled her and made her eyes roll in her head. "OH FUCK, TRUNKS!" she cried out as she convulsed beneath him. She finally went limp, sweaty and out of breath as she laid there. "Oh gods, baby," she gasped, "that was so good. So good." She trailed her fingertips down his spine and managed a weak smile for him. "You're right. I'm not going to be able to walk tomorrow." Her backside was tender and stinging, her core aching deliciously. Her eyes went soft with affection for him. "Thank you. We should've mated a long time ago, baby. I'm so lucky to have you."

He carefully pulled out of her and laid on his side, gathering her up in his arms and holding her close, "I think it happened exactly how it was supposed to happen. It would have been hell to go through a few battles if we had been mated, but I think you are right. We should have done this a long time ago." He said as he lovingly kissed the mark on her neck, a pride swelling inside of him. He finally had his mate, made it official that she was the only one for him. "Mine."

She giggled in his arms and kissed back at the mark on his neck. "Mine," she answered in return. She snuggled against his chest, a sleepy smile pulling at her lips as she felt closer to him than she ever had before. The fear she'd felt before was gone. She didn't feel like she was dragging her feet anymore and she never intended to again. She closed her eyes as she relaxed in his embrace. Life was too short and too unpredictable and she didn't want to live with the regret of taking everything for granted. From that moment on, she was going to appreciate every single moment she had with him.

* * *

><p><strong>A Note from the Authors: <strong>Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! You guys know what review whores we are. We love hearing from you! So thank you to **Amkula, nancy103, Juli-sama14, GreenSaiyan, dbzfangirl1, **and our guest reviewer. You guys are the best and inspire us to keep writing and posting!


	4. Surgery

Piccolo bounced his knee nervously as he sat with Jenny in the hospital room. Any minute now, the doctor was going to have her brought back to the OR for surgery. He already didn't like the way she looked in the hospital gown, the monitors hooked to her to make sure she was healthy enough to have the procedure. He promised himself that he would be calm for her today. That he would be her strength, her support. But on the inside, he was going to pieces.

He reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing her fingers in his own. He could hear his daughters out in the waiting room as Trunks and Catie played with them. Well, more like Alice sat quietly as Trunks read her a story while Paige ran shrieking through the halls and Catie chased after her, proclaiming loudly to her new mate that he'd better forget any ideas he had about them ever having children.

Piccolo was grateful that everyone had shown up to support Jenny. He knew what it meant to her to have her loved ones close by. In all honesty, it meant a lot to him, too. Just knowing that they were concerned enough to put their lives on hold and be there for his mate spoke volumes to him about how much these people really did care. The only ones who did not attend were Dende and Rose, but that was understandable. And Dende had already agreed to heal Jenny's incisions from the surgery as soon as she returned to the Lookout.

That relieved Piccolo. At least Jenny wouldn't be in pain from the surgery for very long. He hoped he could get her home before all of the medication wore off so that maybe she wouldn't hurt at all. Regardless, he was going to make certain that she took it easy for awhile. Jenny always spread herself too thin, trying to take care of everyone else all the time. It was her turn to be taken care of, even if he had to tie her to the bed. And no, not in that way. In fact, that seemed to be the furthest thing from their minds all weekend.

After making the initial rounds to their friends to fill them in on what was happening, he and Jenny had spent every moment together, just talking, reminiscing, promising each other that they would get through this. They brought their daughters to sleep with them in bed at night, just because they could. They wanted to spend as much time together as a family in case something happened. In case something went horribly, terribly wrong. He silently prayed that it didn't.

Piccolo had carefully packed Jenny's suitcase, making sure she had everything she could possibly need. He didn't know how long she might be in the hospital, but he was NOT going to leave her side for anything. He packed his own clothes in beside hers, letting Paige pick out a few things for her mommy, including a new novel Jenny had recently purchased.

Piccolo felt his wife's eyes on him and he turned towards her to give her a soft smile. "You're beautiful. You know that," he said and reached over to gently brush his thumb over the soft skin of her cheek. "I'm going to be right here when you wake up. I just want to get you home so you can rest and get better." He leaned over to kiss her forehead, her nose, her lips. "This will be over before you know it and we'll be normal again. Well, as normal as we ever were."

Jenny chuckled lightly, reaching out and cupping his face, squeezing his hand, "I know. We will make it. I just wish…" She trailed off. What could she wish for? She shook her head, "No, this past weekend was perfect. I couldn't wish it to be more different. I just wish I had more time. I wish I got this stupid thing after I gave you a son." She smiled, brushing her thumb over Piccolo's cheek, "I imagined he would look exactly like you. A little you, someone to give Paige a run for her money." She shook her head, "Our girls are wonderful, I just wish I had been able to give you that one thing."

She shifted on the hospital bed, looking up at the saline drip they had set up already. She looked back at him, "I love you. Just remember that, no matter what happens." She looked down at her hands, "I was reading about what my chemo is going to be like. Everyone reacts to it differently, so I don't know what's going to happen once I start. Who knows?" She looked back up at him, "Gramma Arthusia always told me to prepare for the worst, but hope for the best."

A pain pricked at Piccolo's heart as she mentioned the son they would never have, but he kept his expression calm. "You should call her," he said thoughtfully. "She would want to know how you're doing, what you're going through. Maybe she would have something that could help you." He sighed and just stared into her eyes for a moment. "Jenny, no matter what happens with this chemotherapy, we'll get through it together. I'm going to take care of you," he promised in a quiet tone.

Jenny smiled warmly at him, "I know you will, you always have. Been looking after me since we first met. Well, you know. Relatively speaking." She looked down at their hands entwined together and traced over the veins she could see on the top of his hand, "And Gramma knows full well what is going on. She'll call, or I will and there won't be a need to explain anything. Though, what she might suggest is a margarita and some shrooms…" She trailed off, smirking to herself a moment.

Piccolo couldn't help but to chuckle at that. Gramma Arthusia certainly had a different way of dealing with things, but it always seemed to work. "Maybe we can get her to make you some chocolate cake for breakfast," he said warmly and leaned down to rest his forehead against hers. He could hear the doctors approaching her room. It suddenly seemed all too quick, that their time together had been far too short. He silently begged the Goddess to spare his wife, to let her survive this. He opened his eyes to stare into her warm brown ones. "You're going to be fine," he assured her as the door opened.

Jenny looked at the doctors nervously before she looked back to her husband, her mate. "I know I will be. I know you'll come after me if I don't make it out of this," she said before she leaned forward and kissed him firmly, enjoying the act as though it would be the last time she ever got to. If she was going to go, she was going to take this with her. She finally pulled back, rubbing affectionately at his ear before she leaned back in her bed and let the nurse come to her bed, "Leave a light on for me."

He reluctantly pulled away from her as the nurses took her to the operating room. There was a hard knot in his throat as he watched her go and he sat back in the chair with a heavy sigh. He couldn't just sit in this empty room. He was far too nervous. Getting to his feet, Piccolo wandered out into the hallway and followed the signs to the waiting room where everyone was sitting together. They looked anxiously over at him as he appeared. "They just took her back for surgery," he announced in a surprisingly calm voice.

Goku shuddered and pressed closer to Sabriena and Tien, trying to hide behind them as he sat between them in the waiting room. He did not like this place one bit. It smelled funny and he jumped every time someone wearing a white coat walked by. He sighed and looked up at the Namek. "You want to go get some breakfast while we wait?" he asked hopefully.

Seventeen chuckled over from a corner, "Nice try, Goku. Pretty sure the biggest breakfast he has ever had was a bottle of Avon water." He was nervous too, but he couldn't figure out how to cope with the anxiety he was feeling other than to crack jokes. If it got him punched, all the better. A new bond of friendship had formed between him and Jenny during their time together under Vegeta's training at Tien's cabin and now he worried if he was ever going to get to see her again.

Sabriena cocked an eyebrow at her husband. "I already fed you this morning," she reminded Goku and slid her hand into his, twining their fingers together. She sighed and squeezed comfortingly at his hand. She knew how nervous the hospital made him. She could feel the way his energy was raised, the way he flinched every time someone in scrubs walked by. "If anyone tries to get anywhere near you with a needle, I'll Solar Flare 'em for you, okay?"

Tien snickered and clapped a hand to Goku's knee. "See? No need to worry. We'll just sick the wife on the doctors. She'll take care of our light work," he grinned with a wink. Perhaps Seventeen had the right idea; just keep everyone laughing by making silly jokes, try to not think about what was happening to their friend.

Goku grumbled and crossed his arms as he sank down further in his chair.

Alice blinked around at the waiting room, looked up at Trunks with wide eyes as she put a hand over the page he was reading before she wiggled herself out of the seat and toddled over to her father, looking up at him while she raised her arms and made grabbing motions.

Piccolo smiled down at his little girl and picked her up. "You're getting too big," he commented as he held her close.

She kissed his cheek. "You need it," she said quietly.

Piccolo swallowed and leaned his face into his daughter's pale hair. It amazed him the way she was able to read people, even at her young age of three years old. She was definitely picking up on everything Dende had taught her. "That's my girl," he said quietly to her. He suddenly looked up at Paige as she came squealing down the hall with Catie in tow and ran straight for Vegeta.

Vegeta smirked and scooped her up as she tried to hide from Catie. "What sort of mischief have you been causing?" he asked in an amused tone. She was breathless and grinning toothily, showing her little fangs. He could only imagine what sort of havoc she'd caused already.

Catie came to a halt in front of Vegeta and exaggeratedly leaned over and put her hands on her knees as she caught her breath, "Well for starters, she stole a wheelchair and decided it would be fun to go joyriding along the hallways. Screaming 'Weeeeeee!' at the top of her lungs so that everyone knew that she was having the time of her life." She wrinkled her nose and mock-scowled at the little girl who giggled.

Vegeta cocked an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder at the little half-namek who was trying to hide behind him in his chair. "Surely not," he said in an amused, disbelieving tone. He closed his eyes and shook his head as Paige blinked her big blue eyes at him and nodded. "And you didn't invite me?"

Paige's eyes lit up and she ran from behind the chair and grasped Vegeta's hand, pulling him down the hallway, "Let's go, Papaw!"

"Paige! Wait for me!" Goten cried and ran after her, ignoring his brother as he protested that they shouldn't be doing that.

"Not you, mister," Lindsey said and grabbed onto Phoenix as he tried to chase after them as well. "I swear to god, I'm going to put benadryl in a pez dispenser and start passing it out to these munchkins." She passed the two-year-old off to Gohan and sat back in the chair with a sigh as she rested a hand over her very pregnant belly.

"I wish they'd calm down," Gohan muttered as he settled his son in his lap. "I work in this hospital now. They're going to get me fired and I'm not even on the clock." He sat up straighter as Goten came running back up the hall with Paige on his back. "Slow it down, you two!"

Paige frowned at Gohan and blew him a raspberry before tightening her hold on Goten. "Again! Again!" she shouted, but frowned when Bulma walked over and picked her up.

"Now that's enough of that, young lady. We are in a hospital! There are many more sick people here who don't need little munchkins running around and causing a ruckus. You can do that enough at home and razz the servants there."

Vegeta came back into the waiting room looking more than a little irritated. "Get control of those kids," he barked at Bulma. His face was burning red and he angrily threw himself into a chair and crossed his arms over his chest. He'd been expecting to watch Paige race down the hallway in a wheelchair, but half-way there, she'd had an entirely different idea and he was less than amused in that moment.

Tora couldn't stop himself. "What'd the monsters do this time, Prince?" he asked, trying not to laugh at the pissed-off prince.

"Found the med cart and pushed it down a flight of stairs," Vegeta answered in a dry tone as he stared up at the ceiling. "They'll be picking up pills for weeks."

And although they all knew they shouldn't, the room erupted in laughter as Paige beamed proudly and Goten tried very hard to hide behind Sabriena.

* * *

><p>Tora leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head and stretched out his long legs. He honestly hadn't known how long surgery would take before he came there, but when he'd finally asked, Bulma had said it could take several hours. The children were now all quieted down and sitting together on the floor of the waiting room, playing a boardgame they'd found among the books and things to keep them entertained.<p>

He'd lost track of how much time had passed and was staring at the clock trying to figure it out when a familiar feminine voice drew Tora's attention. It was Android Eighteen, who was apologizing to Piccolo for running late. She had her daughter with her and the little blonde quickly ran over to join the other children in the middle of the floor. He gave little Marron a lazy wink and a grin before he settled himself back in the chair and surveyed Eighteen.

She looked good. He'd been worried about her; he hadn't seen her since he moved out of Capsule Corp. He used to see her quite a bit when she brought Marron by to play with little Trunks and Paige. A snort of slight amusement escaped him when she looked his way and then pointedly stuck her nose in the air and went to sit next to her brother.

She still blamed him for Krillin's death.

He sighed. It wasn't his fault. Fasha and Durian had killed Krillin. He frowned at the memory of them. Durian was dead and rightfully so. He'd been in on it when Fasha had banished Bulma to the shadow realm. His death was justified. But Fasha was still out there somewhere and by this time, she'd had her baby, he was certain of it. Not that he cared, the child wasn't his concern, but it worried him that Fasha hadn't attacked again. Unless she'd truly learned her lesson the last confrontation they had. He shook his head to himself. No. That wasn't Fasha's style. She was relentless in her pursuit and all those years stranded on that planet had made her more than a little crazy. She was planning something. He just wondered what it could be.

But Fasha wasn't what was really on his mind. It was Eighteen that his thoughts returned to. What started out as a promise to her deceased husband to watch over her had turned into a serious crush. He hadn't meant for it to happen. He just wanted to make sure that she and her daughter were safe. But her beauty struck him in a way that no one's ever had before. It wasn't just her physical beauty, which was striking, but it was her inner strength that he admired. After Krillin's death, she had pulled herself up by the proverbial bootstraps and had done everything in her power to create a normal life for her daughter again. She'd bought them their own little house in a subdivision just outside of the city (he'd overheard her saying she didn't feel comfortable at Kame house anymore once Krillin was gone.) And by all means, Marron seemed like a happy, normal little six-year-old girl, considering the circumstances.

He heaved another sigh and stared up at the ceiling. It was stupid to think of Eighteen like that. She loathed him. Perhaps it was because of her coldness towards him that he was so interested. It's like being told you can't have something. You might not have thought about it much otherwise, but once someone tells you "no" it just makes you want it all the more.

Oh, how Bardock would've teased him for this one. He cringed on the inside at the mere thought of it.

Seventeen chuckled at his sister's cold look. "So have you been sucking on lemons or are you just that happy to be around us?" he teased and bumped her knee with his own as his hand reached for Leelee's. He knew the answer. It was because Tora was there. But he just couldn't stop himself from giving his sister shit every chance he got.

Eighteen elbowed her brother as she watched her daughter playing with the other kids. She frowned when she saw Marron turn around and ask Tora if he wanted to play as well. Ask, that was a strong word, more like, "come play this now." She sighed as she watched the Saiyan happily comply to her daughter's wishes and lay flat on his chest in the middle of the floor to join their game. She wanted nothing more than to just punch his face in, but now was neither the time nor the place.

Seventeen snickered as Eighteen elbowed him. "Aw, c'mon. Give the guy a break. He's like one of the family now," he teased in a hushed tone. He understood why Eighteen didn't like the guy, but still Seventeen thought that Tora had more than proved himself. "You know, he really is trying to fit in here. You don't have to be such a bitch all the time."

Eighteen scowled at him. "I'm not being a bitch," she answered firmly. "I seriously doubt you'd enjoy being around him if his buddies had killed Leelee." She huffed and crossed her arms tightly over her chest as she threw one leg over the other and looked away from her brother. She was tired of everyone telling her to play nice, to give him a chance, to forgive. She wasn't ready to forgive and she certainly would never forget. It was because of his decision to join the Atlantians that her husband was dead. Tora had led his crew here to Earth to aid Kadar in that war. As far as she was concerned, it was his fault. She would never forgive him.

Piccolo couldn't believe how long this was taking. He didn't know whether he should be worried that it was taking so long; did that mean it was worse than they thought? Or was it a good thing it was taking so long, meaning they were really taking the extra time to care for his wife? He just wanted this to be over with. He wanted to take her home and curl up in bed with her and their daughters again. He appreciated that his friends were there, although he'd refused when they asked him to have a bite to eat with them or to grab a drink as lunchtime neared. Even going for a short walk didn't appeal to him. He stayed right where he was; he wanted to stay as close to Jenny as possible. Besides, they could announce that Jenny was out of surgery at any moment. He kept jumping every time that damn door opened, thinking he was going to get to see his wife, and then he would sigh and settle back to just sit and wait.

Vegeta was slightly reclined in his chair, one leg stretched out in front of him as he stared at a spot on the tile floor. Bulma's head rested on his shoulder and he absentmindedly ran his fingers through her hair over and over as he let his mind wander. Jenny was going to be just fine. She was going to recover from this in no time and they'd be back to sparring just like they used to. He blinked away the unfamiliar burning in his eyes; perhaps he was more tired than he thought.

Goku was holding Sabriena's legs, Tien was cradling her head as she slept on the floor. Everyone had woken up earlier than normal to be there for Jenny and Piccolo. Now they were paying for it in exhaustion. He watched the entire room; he could see that Vegeta had tears in his eyes, and Piccolo was nervous. The other girls had curled up and gone to sleep. He sighed as he looked up at the ceiling but jumped when Sabriena suddenly sat up as the door opened and a nurse poked her head in to ask, "Family of Jennifer wick?"

Piccolo and Vegeta both jumped up, each of them looking a little pale. "That's us," Piccolo said, his chest tightening. Oh gods, please let her be okay. "I'm her husband," he added, walking over to the nurse as Vegeta joined him.

Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest, fighting the shaking feeling he had in his hands. He despised moments like this, where his fear got the best of him and he couldn't control his body the way he was used to. His muscles tensed, waiting to hear what the nurse would say.

"Is she alright?" Piccolo asked. "Can I see her?"

The nurse offered a smile to them both, looking around the waiting room at the expectant faces. She looked between Vegeta and Piccolo, speaking quietly so only they could hear, "Mrs. Wick is doing just fine. We have her in the recovery room and she's still asleep, so we can only allow three people in at a time right now. The surgeon was able to get most of the cancer and recommends she spends a few months on chemo just to make sure that it's gone for good. We are going to recommend that she stay in the hospital the next few days for observation and then we can set up a schedule. I can take three of you now to see her."

Piccolo heaved a sigh of relief, his knees nearly buckling under him. He shook his head, looking over at the wall for a moment, trying to compose himself. He couldn't believe the amount of relief that crashed through his system, overwhelming him in that moment. He'd been even more scared than he realized.

Vegeta closed his eyes, exhaling a long, slow breath through his nose. She was okay. A smirk pulled at his lips, thinking to himself that he'd known she would be just fine, even though in his heart, he had feared the worst. He turned his head and held out his hand, his voice a little harsher than he meant for it to be, "Bulma."

Bulma was at Vegetas side in an instant, his harsh voice not even phasing her. She let her hand curl around his fingers and they followed the nurse and Piccolo to the recovery room. She nearly gasped when they walked around the corner, seeing her daughter laying there, tubes sticking out of her, sleeping soundly.

Piccolo's step nearly faltered, seeing his wife like that. But he calmed his nerves and went to her bedside, pulling up a chair next to her. Being mindful of the tubes and wires connected to her, he gingerly covered her hand with his own. "You're okay," he whispered to her. He placed a soft kiss to her forehead before he rested his own against hers. He suddenly felt exhausted, dealing with hours upon hours, days of stress and worry. He closed his eyes for a moment, wanting nothing more than to curl around her and sleep, but he forced his eyes back open the next moment. He wanted to be the first one to see her wake up, to be smiling at her when she opened her eyes.

Vegeta sat in another chair in the corner of the room, watching her carefully. He wanted to think that everything was going to be fine, but he knew they weren't quite out of the woods yet. But that didn't matter at the moment. All that mattered to him was that she had survived the surgery and now all that was left to do was to wait for her to wake up.

* * *

><p>Jenny woke slowly, like the world around her was water and she was slowly rising to the surface. She felt a dull pain, numbed from medication. She didn't know how to feel, how she was supposed to feel. She had dreamed of Gramma's house and warm sunshine. She had been eating chocolate cake and drinking tea with Gramma as they talked about cancer and surgery. She was sad to wake up. Gramma promised to visit soon and somehow Jenny knew that it was more than just a dream.<p>

She looked around, seeing her mom and dad. And her husband who was looking at her with relief. She felt… lighter. Empty. She opened her mouth, trying to speak, but her mouth was dry and her body was numb.

"Shhh," Piccolo soothed, brushing her hair back with his fingers. He felt his heart swelling as if it would burst when she finally opened her eyes. "The doctors got the cancer, with a little more treatment, you're going to be just fine," he said in a hushed tone. He couldn't wait for her to heal enough so that he could take her home and have Dende heal her the rest of the way. He hated being in this place.

"So sleeping beauty finally decides to wake up, huh?" Vegeta asked, a small smile on his face. "Told you you'd be all right." He didn't know what to say to her, how to make it better. He wanted everything to go back to normal, the way they would spar together, her sharp wit and her drive to always improve herself. He didn't like her being quiet like this, looking weak and sick. "You'll be back in the GR by the end of the week."

Piccolo sighed and rolled his eyes, praying silently that Vegeta was joking. It was hard to tell with him.

Jenny could barely smile back as she reached for Piccolo's hand, grasping at it the best she could while trying to manage a smile for her father. "How..." She swallowed, her throat was dry, "how much did they take out?"

Piccolo cringed at her question. The doctors had told her before the surgery that they would do a partial or full hysterectomy depending on what they found when they got inside of her. He swallowed nervously, meeting her eyes. "It was a full hysterectomy," he said, forcing his voice to remain level. Her ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus. They'd had to remove all of it. "But all that matters is that you're okay," he said, his voice just above a whisper.

Jenny felt sick. Everything was gone. There had to be something she could have done to prevent herself from being that sick, but it was far too late and now she had lost her chance to give Piccolo a son. She shouldn't have been so selfish. She should have gotten pregnant with his son when she had the chance. She closed her eyes, tears slipping out.

Piccolo felt a slight panic, seeing her tears. He didn't know why it startled him so, other than the fact that he just didn't want to see her sad. Being sick was bad enough, but being sad on top of it made him feel completely useless. "Don't," he said, brushing her tears away with his thumb. "Don't cry." He leaned over, kissing her softly. "Tell me how to fix it. How can I help you?"

Vegeta turned away from the bed, feeling like he was intruding on something. "Bulma, let's go tell the others that she's okay."

Bulma nodded and led the way outside. She couldn't imagine how Jenny was feeling. Such an important part of her had been cut out. And while they were trying for a third child, one that would never be now.

Jenny cried openly, shaking.

The nurse came back and nodded at her, "It's a hard time when there's a hysterectomy." She changed out the morphine bag and left them.

Jenny just pushed her face into Piccolo's shirt, " I'm so sorry baby… I'm so sorry. I wanted another one… I wanted to give you a son..."

Piccolo understood her heartache. He hadn't even had time to absorb the fact that they were never going to have any more children because he had been far too worried over his wife. He pressed his lips together, swallowing harshly. "It's okay," he said roughly. He worried that now that she was healed, he was going to have to face that reality. He felt a little cheated, like something had been taken from him. He cradled Jenny's head against his chest. "Shhhh. Shhhhh. It's okay, baby. I've got you."

She sobbed, feeling the medicine taking effect but she just couldn't stop. She finally settled back after a moment, wiping her eyes with her hands. "I don't… I can't… Gods, Piccolo..." She felt lower than low. She wanted to curl in on herself, but the pain was too much. "Please… please don't leave me. Don't leave." Her eyes were growing heavy and she couldn't keep them open for much longer.

"I will never leave you," he said fiercely, closing both of his hands around hers. "Jenny, stay with me. Listen to me," he said, leaning closer to lock eyes with her as she blinked sleepily. "You are my mate for life. FOR LIFE. I will never, ever leave you. I swear it." It had to be the medicine talking. Why on earth would she think that he would leave her? But just in case she really believed that, that he was capable of walking away from her, he had to put an end to that train of thought. "I'm never leaving you," he vowed fiercely.

Jenny managed a smile, her pain easing as his words carried her back to sleep. She drifted back to her dreams. It was the same one, filled with clove cigarettes, calmness, the salty sea air. She was exhausted and went back to Gramma's lap, laying her head on her legs, and went to sleep.

Trunks and Catie jumped up when Vegeta and Bulma came into the waiting room where the rest of their friends were waiting. The doctor had only spoken to Piccolo and Vegeta, leaving the rest of them to wonder what had happened. "Is she alright? What's going on? Can we see her?" Trunks asked, speaking about a mile a minute.

Vegeta held up a hand to silence his son. "She'll be fine."

Sabriena glared at him. "Fine? Fine? She's been in surgery for hours because of a life-threatening disease and all you can tell us is she's FINE?!" That seemed like a lame way of pacifying everyone and she didn't appreciate it. She swatted at Tien's hand as he grabbed her shoulder to calm her down.

Bulma placed her hand on Vegeta's arm before she turned to Sabriena. "She's doing as well as can be expected. They had to remove, well, everything. A full hysterectomy. They got the cancer and what they missed can be taken care of with chemotherapy. It's going to be a hard road for her. I know she and Piccolo were trying for a son. It's going to be hard for her to accept everything at once."

"They were?" Gohan asked, blinking at Bulma. He hadn't heard anything about that. Why hadn't he heard anything about it? Piccolo hadn't told him that. Of course, Piccolo was always quiet about personal stuff. The girls probably knew all about it. He sat back and huffed, not knowing what to think. Piccolo and Jenny both must be devastated.

Sabriena heaved a sigh, looking down at her hands. "I wish I could trade places with her," she muttered. She had no intention of ever having children. She would have gladly taken Jenny's place.

Goku gave Sabriena's shoulder a squeeze, he didn't want to think about what would have happened if it was Sabriena in Jenny's place. Tien would be out as well and feeling things no man should have to feel. "Is Piccolo there alone? Someone should be with him."

Vegeta gave a nod. "They needed a moment, but she's more than likely asleep again." He looked over at Goku and his mates. Sabriena looked worried sick.

Trunks had sat back down, he and Catie holding onto each other as she said a little prayer to heal their sister.

"Go on then," Vegeta said to everyone. "Take your turns going in to see her. But it will probably be more to the namek's benefit. It's doubtful she'll even know you're there."


	5. You're Invited

Tora leisurely strolled along the sidewalk, taking in the sights of the city. He was on his way to Capsule Corp again after having visited Jenny in the hospital. The doctors insisted on keeping her for a few days, so he tried to stop by and see her at least once a day to check on her.

A familiar voice across the road drew his attention and Tora paused, seeing little Marron on the sidewalk with her mother. He chuckled to himself as Marron tugged on her mother's hand, pointing excitedly at something.

Eighteen smiled and looked over at the ice cream cart across the road, "Just a minute sweetie, Momma's gotta get some money from the ATM and then we can get some scoops, alright? Do you know what flavor you want?"

Marron nodded, bouncing excitedly, "I want them all, Momma! In a chocolate cone!" She looked over across the road, looking both ways.

Eighteen chuckled as she keyed in her pin number, "Almost done sweetheart."

Marron gave a squeal and hurried over across the road.

Tora's heart nearly stopped when Marron ran out into the road. Yes, she'd looked both ways before crossing, but the car speeding towards her had obviously not seen the stop sign. Without even thinking twice about it, Tora ran out into the road, throwing himself in front of Marron, bracing himself for impact. The car slammed against his hip, the back-end of the car lifting into the air, the sound of metal crunching, glass bursting, and tires screeching filling the air. Tora was breathing hard as the car settled, his hip screaming from the force of the hit, but he was still standing and he turned to look at Marron, who was cowering in his shadow, shaking like a leaf. "You alright, kid?" He asked as he picked her up.

Marron blinked up at him, her mouth dropping wide in shock and awe before a large smile gripped her face, "You saved me!" She threw her little arm around his neck, gasping out as she saw the blood soaking through his jeans. "You hurt yourself."

Eighteen turned, hearing the horrible noise of the crash, "MARRON!" Her heart ran cold when she saw Tora holding her little girl, blood running down his leg from where he had stopped the car from hitting her.

"It's nothing," Tora told Marron as Eighteen came running. "She's alright," he assured her, handing the little girl over to her mother. He turned towards the driver of the car, who was screaming her head off. He sighed and rolled his eyes; these humans were so self-absorbed, they couldn't even stop playing with their phones long enough to operate a vehicle. He took Eighteen by the arm and steered her towards the sidewalk, limping as he walked beside her. People were staring at him, some of them clapping or shouting that he was a hero. He just wanted to get out of there. He could feel Eighteen's shoulder trembling as she held her daughter. "Now the question is, are YOU okay?" he asked.

Eighteen hugged her daughter closer to her, stepping away from the Saiyan, giving him a sharp look. "I'm fine. Thank you," she said bitterly, as if she was disgusted to do so. She was thanking one of the murderers of her late husband; it still made her stomach churn.

Marron frowned at her momma, then looked at Tora as she hugged Eighteens neck, "Thank you for saving me. Momma is just still really sad about Papa."

Eighteen felt her face going red and she shifted her daughter in her grasp, covering her mouth. "Hush and be still," she said before she glared at Tora, "Just stay away from me."

Tora sighed through his nose. He'd been trying to be nice to her every time he happened to run into her, but she was always so cold and stoic, wanting nothing to do with him. He couldn't say he blamed her, but still. It would be nice if they could at least be civil. He looked at Marron and gave her a warm smile. "You be good now, okay?" He fought the urge to chuckle when Eighteen blushed; he couldn't help but think that she looked cute like that.

Marron giggled, bright and happy, "I will!" She waved as her mother started walking.

Eighteen was shaking, her mind going over the events. Ice cream forgotten as the cold fear of nearly losing her daughter washed over her. If Tora hadn't stepped in… She closed her eyes, trying not to think about it.

"Can we still get ice cream?"

She frowned at her daughter's request for ice cream "Alright, baby. Then let's go work on your invitations and pass them out."

Tora frowned slightly as she walked away. He felt he deserved a little bit better of a thank-you than that. There had been quite a bit of time that had passed since her husband's death, shouldn't she be done with the grieving process by now? He knew it would always hurt, he himself knew first-hand that the death of someone you cared about never truly quits hurting, but if she was still clinging to that grief, it couldn't be healthy for her. The least she could've done was give him a proper thank you. "Oh yeah, Tora, thanks so much for saving my daughter's life," he muttered sarcastically under his breath as he turned and started limping down the sidewalk. He cast a glance over his shoulder at Eighteen as she carried her daughter away in the opposite direction. At least he was making good on his promise that he would keep them from harm. He wondered how bad his hip really was as the pain started to increase, his adrenaline wearing off. "Way to go, old man," he muttered to himself as he entered Capsule Corp. "Break your hip trying to play the hero." He paused and frowned. "And ruin your favorite jeans in the process. Goddammit."

Bulma groaned at the way Tora was limping when he came into the house. She had rather taken to the other Saiyan, often hearing on how much he visited Goku and he could train with Vegeta. Even one night talked him into going to a deserted area of the world and transformed on the night of a full moon, a battle to remember. She hurried over, ushering him to sit down, looking over his a hip with a critical eye. "What on earth happened to you?!"

Tora could've cursed himself for letting the pain show, although the blood staining his jeans would've given him away anyway. He grit his teeth as he sat down. "Got hit by a car," he answered casually. "That little girl Marron. She ran out into traffic when her mother wasn't looking. I didn't have a choice." He frowned, shifting his weight to his uninjured hip and unbuttoned his jeans, then slid them and his boxers down to reveal his hip. His hip was already blossoming in a dark bruise, blood dripping from it. He tried to give Bulma a cocky grin. "'Tis but a flesh wound," he joked.

Bulma rolled her eyes, "You can't be in too much pain if you are quoting Monty Python." She sighed and poked at the bruise, trying to decide how badly he was injured, "You saved Marron? That sweet little dear! I'll be Eighteen was happy about that… " She trailed off as she saw his face, "She wasn't?! Why the hell not? I ought to call her up right now and give her a piece of my mind!"

Tora shook his head, appreciative of Bulma's defensiveness over him. Prince Vegeta had chosen an incredible mate. Tora was surprised that the prince had been able to find such a woman here on earth. Most females here didn't seem like they could handle a Saiyan, in any sense. "No, don't do that," he said, sucking air through clenched teeth as she poked at him. "She hates me enough as it is. Don't give her more reason to do so by calling her and yelling at her. She just... she's never going to forgive me for what happened to her husband. I get that. It's alright."

Bulma frowned and went over to the drawer to fish out the little sack of senzu beans. She only used them in cases of emergencies, such as the husband blowing up the gravity room and himself along with it, but it had been a while since anything had happened. She carried the bean over to him and offered it. She frowned, feeling sad for Tora and Eighteen. She could understand both sides. He just wanted to try to make up for his mistakes and Eighteen wouldn't let him. But on the other hand, she understood Eighteen's position. If a group of people killed her husband and then later wanted to be friends, she would tell them to fuck off. "Well, you are a good man for keeping your word to Krillin like this. I know if he were here, he'd thank you so many times over for saving his daughter."

"Thanks," Tora muttered, taking the bean and crunching into it, pulling a face at the bitter taste. He forced himself to swallow it before he sighed in relief as he felt his hip heal. "Good as new," he grinned and fixed his jeans, wondering if he could get the stain out later. He wondered if Krillin really would have thanked him. Oh well. It didn't matter. He'd done the right thing and he shouldn't have to have thanks for it. He gave Bulma an amused look. "Too bad you had those beans. I was gonna ask you to kiss it and make it better," he teased and wagged his eyebrows, knowing she would know he meant nothing by it.

Bulma laughed and mock punched his shoulder, "You do that and my husband will knock your your head off." She shook her head at the smile still on his face, "Well! You saved Marron, I know it's not a great thank you, but how about I cook you up some lunch? Your choice!" She grinned.

* * *

><p>Back at her home with Marron, Eighteen looked over her baby for any kind of marks, but found none and she smiled, "Now, let's work on those invitations."<p>

Marron smiled widely and nodded furiously, "Can I invite all my friends?"

Later that day, after all the invitations had been made, they both went to Capsule Corp. Marron watched as her mother drank her coffee with Bulma, chatting away about what all to plan for her birthday party. She giggled and ran off, clutching her card to her chest. She had already given Trunks his card, invited Catie and older Trunks as well. There was just one more person she wanted to come, but when she brought it up to her mother, she had gone quiet and said no. But mother said all her friends were invited and this man had saved her life. Didn't that make him a good person and a friend? She wandered around back to the garden where she found him curled up on a chair, his tail twitching this way and that, reading a book. It almost seemed funny, watching the large man read a book, occasionally licking his thumb to turn the pages, the way his tail just moved around as if it had a mind of his own.

Tora sat up a little straighter and set the open book face-down in his lap when he saw little Marron standing there, holding a brightly colored piece of paper to her chest. "Hey kid," he smiled warmly, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He looked around for Eighteen, but didn't see her. He almost sighed in relief. He didn't feel like being yelled at or given another one of her frosty looks. Once was enough for one day. "Whatcha got there?" he asked, nodding towards the paper she held, her eyes dancing with an excited gleam in them. She looked as if she was about to burst with excitement. He chuckled. "Well, come on. Out with it."

Marron giggled and ran over, climbing eagerly onto the chair with him, and sat on his knees. "I made this for you!" she said and pushed the card against his chest, "To say thank you for saving me in the road!" She held up her hands as if she was sharing a big secret, "I want you to come to my party, too. I even gave you an invitation! You have to come! Pleeeeeeeeease!?"

Tora laughed warmly and looked at the card. It was decorated heavily with glitter that sprinkled all over his hands as he opened it and the little invitation fell out. He read the card, written in child's handwriting in crayon. He felt a very tiny knot form in his throat and he grinned at her. "Thank you," he said. He opened the little invitation, seeing Eighteen's handwriting stating that the party would take place that Saturday afternoon at the park nearby. Obviously she'd written up a bunch of these and Marron had stolen one away to give to him. "I'm not sure your mother wants me there, little one," he said, wondering which would be worse. Hurting the child's feelings? Or risking pissing off her mother.

Marron looked up at him with big eyes, "Pleeease say you'll come! Momma said it's my party and I can invite who I want and I want you there!" She smiled sweetly at him, "Just come for like… a million minutes and then you can go! I'm gonna have ice cream cake, pin the tail on the donkey… uhmmmmmmm. And lots of other stuff! It's gonna be fun! Please, please, please come!"

Tora chuckled and grasped her chin gently with his forefinger and thumb. "Now how can I say no to that?" he smiled. "Of course I'll be there." His eyes went wide at her excited squeal as she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him. He patted her on the back, then set her down on the ground. He didn't understand why these earthlings insisted on celebrating every single little thing, but this was important to Marron and he couldn't resist the urge to join in with everyone. He wondered if there was something special he was supposed to do or if he would be expected to dress up. He'd have to ask Trunks or Vegeta about it. "Now you go play. Be good for your mother."

Marron nodded excitedly and hurried off, jumping up and down in the air as she ran off to find her mother. She was going to have the greatest birthday ever.

Trunks chuckled from where he was standing. "Suckerrrrr," he hissed teasingly.

Tora turned in his chair to see Trunks leaning against the tall shade tree that grew in the corner of the yard. He chuckled, "I suppose so." He looked back down at the invitation and thank-you card in his hands. He held up the invitation to Trunks. "Care to explain this to me? I just made that little girl a promise and, well, I have no clue what the hell I just promised her. I just heard the words 'ice cream' and knew I couldn't say no."

Trunks threw his head back and laughed, "It's a birthday card invitation. We do it on this planet to celebrate the day someone is born on this planet. When they start living. You know? Lots of food, presents, it's what you give the birthday person. Ten bucks says Marron wants a princess-themed party."

"Oh gods, what have I gotten myself into?" Tora muttered, leaning his face hard into the palm of his hand. He dragged his hand down his face, sitting up straighter again. "A present? What the hell am I supposed to give her?" This whole thing was bizarre to him. He wondered if Marron was going to tell her mother that she'd invited him or if his arrival at the party would be a surprise. He nearly snickered as he imagined the look on Eighteen's face. He looked at Trunks again, appreciating the younger half-Saiyan. He got along well with him and Tora thought Trunks' mate Catie was hilarious. "The traditions here on earth really are strange, you know that?"

Trunks laughed out loud, "Yeah I guess they are. At least to you. And she's a little girl, get her something with unicorns and pink. Pink unicorns? Orrrrrrr you could… do something else." He held a hand to his chin thinking. What would a more personable present be? A picture of her father? A picture of her mother and father together. He grinned, and snapped his fingers. "I think I have just the thing. Come with me; my mom's got some old photos we can get into."

Tora sighed and got to his feet, setting the book on the little table next to the chair. Maybe one of these days it would be quiet enough around him to actually read an entire book. He followed Trunks inside, giving a wave to Bulma as they passed her and Vegeta, Eighteen not even so much as sparing Tora a glance. "She's going to have a fit when I show up there," he said, half worried and half amused by the idea. "I don't suppose there's some strange human custom to make her forgive me, is there? Something I haven't heard of yet?"

Trunks looked at him knowingly. "The only thing that works is time. Don't worry. Just keep being awesome to her and her kid and she will come around." He stopped near some photo albums lining a bookshelf and he read through the years dated on the side. He grinned and pulled one down, "Here we go! The year Krillin and Eighteen started dating." He flipped open the book, looking through the pictures, "I doubt Marron has seen any of these." He paused at one where Eighteen and Krillin were cuddling together on a picnic table smiling at the camera, pressed cheek to cheek, looking happier than he could remember them being. He took the picture out and handed it to Tora. "If you ask mom, I'll bet she can find a cutesy pink frame for it. Eighteen might like this too, to show her that you aren't trying to make them forget about Krillin, but you know... Embrace his memory or something cheesy like that."

"That IS cheesy," Tora muttered, but took the picture and looked at it. There was a light in Eighteen's eyes in that photo that he hadn't seen before. She looked truly happy and he realized in that moment just how beautiful she really was. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. That happiness had been taken from her and it was his crew who had done it. He thought he understood her hatred of him then. "All right," he sighed. "So the picture and... ah hell, maybe a pink unicorn to go with it." He cringed at the thought of going into one of those toy stores and purchasing something like that. "You think if I bribe Catie she might go to the store for me?" he asked hopefully.

Trunks grinned. "Yeah, but she'll want something in return. Something sweet like candy or chocolate, but I'll take care of that." He laughed and led the Saiyan away, "Let's get it over with now, the party is this weekend and we can't forget. Let's catch Catie in a good mood or negotiating with her is going to be a nightmare."


	6. Irrational Fears

Piccolo was so relieved when the doctor announced that Jenny could return home after three days in the hospital. She was given instructions to stay in bed, don't lift anything too heavy, and a prescription for painkillers. Piccolo just smiled inside although he kept his face stoic. She wouldn't need any of that. Dende could heal the incisions from the surgery in just a matter of minutes. Especially since they were clean cuts, it shouldn't pose a problem for him at all. And then Piccolo and his wife would have a whole month of her feeling good before she had to begin that chemotherapy treatment.

He held her hand and helped her walk out of the hospital. She was still extremely sore and walking was a feat in and of itself. Once outside, he carefully picked her up in his arms and felt her relax just a bit. "You're hurting, aren't you?" he frowned. He pressed a kiss to her temple and rumbled softly, "Just a little while longer. I'll get us home as quick as I can, but I'm not going to risk hurting you either. Dende will heal you as soon as we get home." He gently lifted into the air and gradually gained speed as he flew towards their home.

Rose quietly walked up behind Dende as he stood at the edge of the Lookout and stared down at the world below. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her tall, skinny frame against him as she kissed his neck. "It seems so quiet without the girls here," she murmured softly as she rested her chin on his shoulder. Really, she was surprised at how lost she felt without the girls and Jenny; she missed them greatly and it had only been a few days. She closed her eyes and tipped her chin down to rest her forehead on the back of Dende's shoulder. "I miss our family."

Dende leaned back into her touch, taking a measure of comfort from his mate, his other half, "They are on their way back now. Well, Piccolo and Jenny. The girls are still with Vegeta and Bulma. I do believe my brother wants Jenny to get a few more days of rest without Paige jumping on her. And you know, coming to terms with everything. I should be able to heal her, but she is going to need help healing the emotional trauma more than anything. That is one thing I cannot heal."

Rose nodded and sighed. It didn't seem fair. While a time of peace was settling over much of the planet, their family still suffered. "I know you will do everything you can for her, my love," she said softly. "I only hope that we can comfort her enough and help her recover as quickly as possible." She looked up as Piccolo landed on the tiles and she squeezed Dende a little tighter before they turned to his brother.

Piccolo still held Jenny carefully in his arms as he met his brother's eyes. He felt better to be home. "I don't want her to lay on this tile," he said and turned to walk towards the bedroom. He smiled as he entered the room. "You're home, baby," he said quietly to her as he laid her on their bed.

Jenny wanted to sink into the bed and just hide for a while, it was so soft and she ached all over. her pelvic area was killing her. She turned her head, watching Dende enter the room. She could see the slightest wince of pain when he walked in and over to her side.

"Welcome home, Jenny. I know this has been hard on you, but hang in there. The journey is just beginning," he said as he held his hands out over her, feeling the damage before he dipped into his healing magic and soothed it into her.

Jenny nearly sighed out in relief as the aches from the surgery melted away into nothing. It was short lived as she reluctantly admitted it cleared her mind. More focus to think on things she didn't want to think about. She reached up and poked at her belly, not sure what to think knowing that most of her female organs were gone.

Piccolo frowned as his wife poked at her lower stomach like that and he took her hands in his as he knelt next to the bed. "Stop," he said softly. He met her eyes and felt relieved when he could no longer see the physical pain in them. "Whatever is going through your head, don't. I know that look." It was the same look she'd had in her eyes when she'd struggled with that armor, the look she got when she was disappointed in herself. Piccolo slightly turned his head towards his brother, "Thank you, Dende."

The guardian inclined his head and left them alone, shutting the door behind him as he did. He let out a sigh and looked to Rose who waited anxiously. He smiled softly at her and walked to her, offering his arm as he led them back to the edge of the Lookout, his staff tapping against the tiles. "It's as I thought. I wish I could do more for her, but it is up to her now. I need to find a way to gently tell my brother that this will not be a quick process, no matter how much he might wish it."

Jenny looked up at Piccolo as he took her hands, she wasn't sure if she had breath enough to talk. The fear of bursting into tears at any moment was still very real to her if she thought very hard about what had happened. "Thank you for staying with me, but I don't know if I'm going to be very good company," she said softly, "Everything's gone." She rubbed at her eyes as the tears started to fall. "At least we have our two daughters."

Piccolo continued to hold her hands as he stared at her. "What do you mean everything's gone? You're still here," he said, not understanding her words at all. "Jenny, you're alive. We have each other and our daughters just like you said. That's all that matters." He crawled up on the bed and gently pulled her into his arms. He could see the tears brimming in her eyes and it broke his heart. He didn't want her to be sad. "Don't cry," he whispered and ran his fingers through her hair, trying to comfort her. He knew she always liked it when Gramma would play with her hair. Perhaps it would cheer her up if he did it now. "Unless you need to. It's okay if you want to cry. I've got you."

Jenny listened to him, feeling herself relax when he slid his fingers into her hair and she sighed. He was right, she should be happy. She made it past the surgery. They were still a family. She ran a hand over her face and scooted closer to her husband. "Damn stupid hormones throwing me out of whack," she muttered. "I just want things back to normal."

He sighed, not knowing what to say. He just continued to run his fingers through her hair, trying to will some sort of comfort into her. He hadn't let himself dwell on the fact that they weren't going to have any more children. That was the least of his worries. All he wanted was for his wife to feel better. "It will go back to normal," he promised. "It just might take a little time. Tell me what I can do to make it better."

She looked up at him, seeing the worry in his eyes. The pain there. She reached up and cupped his cheek, "You're doing it. I just don't want to get lost in this whole mess. I just don't know what to think, really. I suppose it will get better with time and all that, but it feels overwhelming right now." She sighed and leaned into his touch, "I suppose the best thing to do is to get back into a normal routine of things. Seems like quite the feat after how many months of tests and hospital visits."

"I think that would be good for you," Piccolo said. "Maybe we can just keep busy and try to focus on other things. Marron brought you an invitation to her birthday party this weekend while you were resting. We could take the girls to that. It might make you feel better to be around everyone." He normally didn't enjoy going to those things, but he thought that perhaps seeing their daughters run and play might make Jenny feel better. "We still have our family. And they all love you. I love you. Don't forget that."

Jenny thought about it, it could make her feel better. Or it could be a painful reminder of what she couldn't have any more. "I think that's a good idea. The girls will enjoy it and it might be the last party I can get to enjoy for a while. I wish I knew what chemo was going to do to me," she said, leaning up and kissing him softly, "I love you, thanks for sticking around."

Piccolo let his eyes close for a moment as he sighed through his nose. "You act as if I'm just going to disappear on you," he said, fighting to keep the growl out of his voice. He opened his eyes and fixed her with an intense stare. "You are my mate. In this life and the next. I don't take that lightly. I know you're upset, but you have to stop talking like that." And to prove his point, he kissed her fiercely as he crushed her to his chest. It hurt to hear her say such things and he had to squash any doubt she had in him or in herself. He couldn't bear it. Not now. Not with everything else they were dealing with, too.

Jenny couldn't stop the tears that slid down her face. Gods, she was so tired of crying. She knew he would never leave her, and she would never leave him. Her hands curled into his soft shirt and she murmured an apology to him, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I just, you know. It was a part of me, makes me less of who I was. If you had a surgery to remove part of you, your manhood, your testicles, what would you feel?"

He sighed and thought about her question. Of course his first thought was that he could just regenerate any part of his body that needed healing, but that wasn't a fair answer. _'Gods, give me the right words to say,'_ he silently prayed. The last thing he needed to do was to be insensitive or stupid right now. "I don't know," he answered truthfully. "I imagine I would feel much the way you do right now. But I wouldn't question if you loved me or worry about you leaving me. I still love you just as much as I always have. This hasn't changed who you are, the woman I love. Understand?" he asked softly.

She felt a warmth bubbling up in her chest at his words and she nodded at him. "Flatterer," she accused as she studied his face. "I suppose the time for 'I wish' is over. It's done. We will just have to steal our daughter's kids. One of them will have a boy," she said, unable to stop the little laugh that escaped her, lightening the weight on her soul.

Piccolo chuckled and covered his face with his hand. "No. They're not allowed to date until I'm dead," he grumbled. "They're growing up too fast and they're too beautiful." He dropped his hand and gave her an accusatory stare. "They get that from you, you know." A violent shudder ran down his spine and a protectiveness grew in his chest at the thought of any young man coming to take his daughters on a date. "No. Not happening."

Jenny laughed, "Oh don't worry, I'm sure between you and Vegeta, any man is going to be too scared to death to even try it."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Short chapter. Longer ones coming up soon! Thanks for the reviews, guys. Keep 'em coming. They make me happy! Oh! And one more thing. **GreenSaiyan**, while your review amused me greatly, there will be no egg-puking in this story. Sorry. That always weirded me out. LMAO!


	7. A Son of His Own

Sabriena was practically bouncing on her toes as she waited for Goku to return to the newly-built cabin with their son. Goten hadn't seen the cabin since the old one burned down and they had just finished building the day before. She banged around in her new kitchen, wiping down the new countertops and fussing with the gorgeous cast-iron stove Goku and Tien had surprised her with. It felt weird to have a kitchen to work in now instead of just a fireplace. But she loved it.

The cabin was just a little bigger than it had been before. The main area was pretty much the same, only slightly bigger, with a larger table and chairs and Tien had made the bed king-size this time instead of the full they had before because he claimed Goku was going to push them out of bed with the way he liked to sprawl out while he slept. And then there was the loft. Sabriena wasn't sure which she was more excited about showing to Goten. The kitchen or the loft which would be his own room when he came to stay with them.

"The kitchen is clean, you know," Tien said in a low but amused voice as he leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen. He crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at his wife. A smile touched his lips as he watched her moving around nervously. Butterflies erupted in his stomach and he knew that that feeling for her would never go away. "C'mere, girl," he rumbled and pulled her tiny frame into his arms as he kissed her. "What has gotten into you?"

"I'm sorry, I'm just so nervous and excited for Goten to see the cabin!" she answered and looked up at him, her eyes dancing. "I can't wait to play with my new stove! You know it's killing me not to just start whipping up every possible dish I can think of."

Tien chuckled and ran his fingers through her long blonde hair. "I know, I know. Just take a deep breath. Goku will be back any second now and then you and Goten can spend the whole day in the kitchen if you want. I know Goku won't complain," he laughed with a wink. He turned and looked over his shoulder as Goku appeared in the middle of the cabin with little Goten in his arms.

Sabriena pushed past him and beamed at the little boy. "GOTEN!" she cried and threw her arms wide.

Goten smiled widely and rushed forward into her arms, wrapping his arms around her neck, nuzzling her cheek. "MOMMY!" He giggled as she wrapped around him, squeezing him tightly, "I missed you!" He smiled around at Tien, "Hi Tien! Wow!" He looked around the inside of the entire cabin, "This is amazing! It's bigger than before! Did you guys do all of this?!" He squirmed in Sabriena's arms to get a better look.

Goku chuckled at Goten as he looked around, "We sure did, kiddo! We even added a loft for your bedroom and check out the new kitchen we got Sabriena!" He wasn't sure what part he liked best about the newly redone cabin. The bed was always a plus. The fireplace was a close second; they built it out of the smooth stones they gathered from the nearby river.

Sabriena giggled as Goten looked like he could burst with excitement. "Tell you what," she said in a low voice as she hugged him, "why don't you let Tien and Daddy show you your new room upstairs and when you're done, you can come play with me in the kitchen?" She squeezed him tighter and pressed a big kiss to his cheek before she released him.

"Yeah, c'mon kid," Tien grinned and waved Goten over to the ladder that led up into the loft. "C'mon, Goku," he called over his shoulder as he climbed the rustic ladder. He smiled proudly at the room they'd set up for Goten. It was about half the size of the downstairs with a railing that looked down into the main part of the cabin. He'd built a full-sized bed for Goten and the walls were lined with shelves and cubbies that Sabriena had filled with cookbooks and storybooks alike, with plenty of toys interspersed in between. It felt good to be able to give Goten his own space in the cabin now. Tien rested his hands on his hips and smiled down at Goten as he climbed up into the loft. "What do you think?"

Goten's eyes went wide as he saw the decent sized room. He looked up at Tien with wide eyes, "This is all for me? Really?" He looked around, his smile growing wider as he looked at the bed. "Holy cow! That is huge!" he cried out before he bounded over and jumped on the squishy bed before he burrowed under the sheets and popped out on the other side. "It's PERFECT! I can't believe it!" He rubbed at his little eyes, "Thank you so much!"

Goku chuckled as he climbed up the rest of the way, watching his son crawling over the bed. He laughed and walked over to the bookshelves, "Look here, kiddo. Sabriena got you all sorts of books! She has an entire row here for cookbooks. And look! Here's one she wrote herself!" He flipped open the homemade cookbook and showed Goten the empty pages. "She said this is so you can write in your own recipes. She worked really hard on this every night since we started the rebuild of the cabin."

The little half Saiyan's eyes went wide and he ran his hand over the smooth paper, his eyes big as he looked up a smile growing on his face, "REALLY? This is amazing!" He threw himself at his father before he pounced on Tien and shouted over the railing, "Thank you, Mom!"

Tien laughed and hugged Goten as Sabriena's voice called back, "You're welcome!" Tien was surprised at how happy it made him to see Goten so excited. He was proud of the work they'd done to give this to Goku's son. "I'm glad you like it," Tien said quietly. "Maybe now you can come out and stay with us a little more since you have your own space." He ruffled Goten's hair and grinned at him. "Why don't you take that book and go cook with your mommy? I think she's as excited as you are. Wait until you see the kitchen we built for you guys."

Goku had to step aside as his son practically launched himself over the side of the loft and floated downstairs, taking everything in again. His eyes grew larger at the sight of the large kitchen. It was still rustic, but it had more. So much more. The stove was amazing and he wandered over to it, reaching out to touch the cool leg of it. "Oh wow, this feels strong." Everything smelled new and familiar at the same time. He couldn't believe it, "This place is even more amazing than it was the first time." He rubbed at his eyes, smiling, "You really want me out here more? I'll do it! I'll come by all the time!"

Sabriena beamed at him. "Of course we do! We miss you when you're not here, buddy." She crouched down and wrapped him up in a hug again. "I'm sorry it's been a few weeks since you could come visit. It took us a long time to rebuild the cabin." She pulled back and looked at him, "But now that it's done, maybe we can talk to Gohan and see about you staying here for a while. At least until school starts. You've still got a couple months of summer left." She lowered her voice to a whisper and giggled, "I might not give you back to your brother until summer's over."

Goten giggled and nodded his head, "I'll just hide out here until it's over." He looked back to the big bed and wandered over. "I'll just hide under the covers! He'll never find me!" he said, running his hand over the soft fur quilt there. His eyes went wide as he touched it, "Oh wow, this is awesome!" he said in awe before he jumped on the bed and wrapped himself up in the quilt. "It's so soft! Warm!" he said happily.

Tien chuckled as he landed lightly on his feet after jumping over the railing from the loft. "Hey now, your mom made that for me," he lightly scolded. He was still a little sad that the original quilt had been lost in the fire, but the new one Sabriena made was just as beautiful and warm as the one before it. "He's gonna end up stealing that just like you used to steal my cloak," he muttered to Goku who had followed him back downstairs.

Goku laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Like father, like son I guess! Hey! We should make new cloaks. You know? So I can steal yours again?" He chuckled and slid an arm around Tien's waist as he watched his son purring under the warm quilt. "Hey kiddo! Don't you want to help Sabriena cook in the kitchen?"

The little spiky hair peeped out, looking as if he were debating on something. He grinned, "I want this. Can I have it? Please?!"

Tien blinked at Goten. '_Way to put me on the spot, kid,'_ he thought to himself. "Ah, I think that quilt's a bit big for your bed, buddy," he finally answered, feeling rather uncomfortable. He thought about it for a minute before he smiled. "But I bet if you ask her real nice, your mom might make one for your bed, too. But you'll have to help me get the pelts to make it. I'll take you hunting. Have you been practicing with your bow?"

Goten's eyes widened and he nodded frantically before he scrambled off the bed and hurried over to Sabriena, falling to his knees and clasping his hands so tightly together his knuckles turned white. "Please, please, please, will you make me a quilt like that one if I work real hard with Tien to get the pelts?"

Goku just laughed as he went and made the bed up. "Uh oh, he's doing the puppy dog eyes. I'm not even immune to them. I taught him too well," he lamented.

"It's completely your fault," Tien agreed.

Sabriena pressed her lips to a thin line in a weak attempt to stop herself from smiling. Damn that look. "Sure thing," she finally grinned. "I'd love to make a quilt for you." She laughed and shook her head. "Well, I think you've got about a million options right now. Do you wanna read your books or do you wanna cook with me? Or do you wanna go hunting with Tien for a while? That quilt will take a while to make, kiddo, just so you know. I used up a lot of the furs we already had, so like Tien said, you'll have to get a bunch more. It's your call, little man."

Goten looked torn for a moment as he thought over what he wanted to do. He was half tempted to ask Tien to teach him the multiform technique so he could do everything at once. "Would it be alright if Tien took me hunting and then we can cook when I get back!?" he asked, "We will get so many! I've really been practicing! Gohan set up a target for me in the backyard! I've been getting really good!"

"That sounds like a brilliant plan," Sabriena smiled at him. "Tien needs to break in his new bow anyway." She smiled at her husband as he got out the bows and arrows he'd made. They'd spent every minute of daylight they had working on the cabin, but in the evenings when it was too dark to see what they were doing, he'd sat up next to the campfire and made new bows for all of them. "Okay, you go on with Tien. You listen to what he tells you, okay? Be good."

Tien slung his bow over his shoulders and handed a smaller one to Goten. "Made you a new bow," he said. "It's better than that silly compound thing you've been practicing with anyway." He shot a wink at Sabriena as he said it. He'd always hated her fancy white bow that she'd brought when she first came to train with him. "Let's go."

Goten nodded excitedly, taking the new bow from Tien and slid his hands over the silky smooth wood. He turned and waved a goodbye to his father and mother before he quickly turned around and followed Tien into the woods. "Wow! This bow is beautiful! Thank you so much Tien!" he said as a quiver of arrows was handed to him. He loved the woods, being outside in them. He had missed being able to come out to visit, but his father said that one of the mean gods burned down their home and he had to wait.

"You're welcome," Tien smiled. "Okay, be quiet now. We don't want to scare off our game." His footsteps became nearly silent as he walked through the trees. His eyes scanned the ground as they neared a creek that would meet the river. He stopped and dropped down to one knee and studied the tracks in the soft bank. "Goten," he said quietly. "Come here. Can you tell what these different tracks are?" There were several animal prints left there and he was curious to see if Goten could identify them or at least guess what they might be.

Goten knelt next to Tien, the excitement of the hunt was growing in his chest that he thought he would burst from it. He looked at the tracks he pointed out to and he pointed to the only one he knew for sure. "That's a deer," he said quietly, "But I don't recognize these other ones. That one might be a dog." He pointed to another, "Do you know what they are?"

Tien smiled proudly at Goten. "Good job. That's deer," he said, pointing at one set of tracks, "and that belongs to that silly mutt back at the cabin. Looks like Dog's been wandering around out here." He couldn't help but chuckle. "These here are turkey. But see those? They look like Dog's prints, but they're smaller. Those are coyote. These deer tracks are fresh. See how they look sharper than the others? If we go that way," he paused and pointed, "I bet we can find it."

Goten watched carefully as Tien pointed out each and committed them to memory. "Wow! You can tell all that just by looking at these things? That's incredible! You're awesome!" he said excitedly before he remembered he was supposed to be keeping quiet and he drew back, holding a finger over his lips. He looked back at the deer tracks and looked up the way it wandered off, "So we follow this direction until we find another track? Or look for the big deer?"

Tien snickered and nodded, moving quietly along the bank of the creek. He paused here and there to show Goten how to track, what to look for. They finally came to a small clearing where a large buck was nibbling at the grass. Tien held a finger to his lips to tell Goten to be quiet. He crouched low, still in the treeline, using the trunks and shadows to his advantage so as not to startle the animal. He gave Goten an encouraging nod, then pointed from the little boy to the deer and back, trying to silently communicate to him that he wanted Goten to take the shot.

Goten felt a nervousness well up inside of him at Tien's indications, but he nodded his head and looked at his target as he removed an arrow from the quiver and notched it on to his bow before he drew back. He raised his weapon and held his breath as he looked over his target, aiming for what he hoped was where the heart would be. It was certainly more nerve wracking than shooting at the bale of hay in Gohan's backyard! He finally bit his lip, gasping out as he let go of the arrow, watching it fly to the startled buck and thudded deeply into the side of the animal before it started running away. It didn't get more than a few strides before the large animal fell over. Goten's eyes went big and he smiled widely at Tien, "Did you see that? Did you see?!"

"Good job, Goten!" Tien exclaimed and gave the little boy a high-five. "Perfect shot. Your mom and dad are going to be proud of you!" He paused then, thinking about his own relationship with Goten. As far as anyone was concerned, Sabriena was Goten's mother now. And Goku was his father. What did that make Tien? He mentally shook himself; there he was worried about labels again. It didn't matter really, did it? "Come on, I'll show you how to field dress it," he said as he stood up straight and approached the animal.

Goten grinned widely and cheered as he followed Tien out to the deer. He paid close attention to the way Tien described how to field dress the animal. He wasn't as grossed out as he thought he would be.

Tien carried their kill back to the cabin with Goten bouncing along beside him. Once they were back home, he hung the deer up from a tree and pulled out his knife again. "Now let's butcher it and get it put away. Usually it's best to let them hang for awhile, but it's too hot this time of year for that. The meat will spoil."

Goten watched the way to skin the animal just right to get the perfect fur that they would tan later so Sabriena could use it and make it into a quilt. He was amazed at Tien's skill with a knife as he began breaking down the deer into different cuts of meat, how not a single scrap was wasted. It was as if he just waved his knife over the deer and it divided itself.

"Get the door, kid," he said and smiled as Goten threw open the door. "Fresh venison," Tien announced as he set the meat on the table. "Goten's first buck. Eight points, too."

Sabriena's eyes lit up at the meat on the table. "Oh wow! Good job, Goten!" she praised and hugged him. "Look at you. I'm so proud of you, buddy."

"Next time, you're gonna dress it," Tien warned. He went thoughtful for a moment. "You'll need a good knife. We'll see if we can find you one of your own the next time I go into town."

Goten was practically dancing, he didn't know what eight points meant, but by the way his mom and dad looked, it was probably a good thing. "What's the eight points mean, da… I mean, Tien?" he asked excitedly. He wasn't sure if Mr. Tien would want him calling him dad. Or if his Dad would mind him calling Tien "dad." He peered at the antlers that Tien had set on the table as well.

Tien chuckled at Goten's excitement and near-slip. "The points on the antlers," Tien explained and counted off the prongs. "That was a big buck you took." He looked over at Goku with pride on his face. "Clean shot, too. Perfect form. Your boy is something else, Goku." He thought to himself that if he ever had wanted children, he would want a son just like Goten. Hell, he had Goten, he just wasn't sure if Goku would be comfortable with him referring to Goten as his son, too. He didn't want to overstep his boundaries and offend his husband somehow.

Goku chuckled at the excitement, not missing a detail, a rare moment for him, he was sure. "Heh, I'm sure it's not all my doing, He's half yours too! Well, I dunno, do you think two, three people can share one hundred percent of a whole kid?" He looked down at his son, reaching out and ruffling his hair, "What do you think, kiddo?"

Goten's smile returned full force and he nodded eagerly before he jumped into Tien's arms, laughing as he looked at the kill on the table. "I couldn't have done it without you, Dad," he said brightly.

Tien's eyes went wide as he suddenly found his arms full of the little kid and he smiled and hugged him. He felt a knot in his throat at Goten's words and didn't really know what to say. "Okay, come on," he said, his voice sounding a little thick, "You go on and help your mother cook up some of that meat. I'm starving!" He pulled back and grinned at Goten. "I'll put the rest in the cellar. And later I'll show you how we can start tanning the hide so Sabriena can use it for part of your new quilt, okay?"

Goku watched happily as his son, their son dashed off to eagerly help Sabriena start cooking. He could see a light in his son's eyes that brought a comfort to him. He smiled at Tien. "Let me help you," he said and helped carry the portion that wasn't going to be a part of dinner that day. When they were outside, he chuckled again, "So you guys had a really good time, huh?"

The corner of Tien's mouth twitched in a smile. "Yeah, we did. You know me; I like teaching. He's so eager to learn this stuff. He's like a little sponge," he laughed as he toed open the door to the cellar and carried the meat inside. It was cool enough below ground that the meat could hang overnight without spoiling until Sabriena decided what she wanted to do with it. "He listens well. He's a good kid."

Goku followed Tien's actions, hanging the meat he had in his hands. "Yeah, he is. I'm just so happy that he finally has a family that he can really count on, without worry of anyone hurting him again." He sighed and looked over at his husband, "I know it wasn't my fault, but still, I wish I had noticed what Chichi was doing to him. But that's not the important thing. It's over and done, right? Let's make the most of this while we can. Goten really likes you, you know? You grew on him."

Tien gave a small chuckle. "I like him, too. You know, I never wanted kids. Neither did Sabriena. But, well, something about your boy changed that." He swallowed and licked his lips nervously as he looked down at the dirt floor for a moment before he looked back up at Goku, a questioning look in his eyes. "Are you sure you're okay with it if he calls me Dad? I don't want to, you know, cross a line with you. You're his father, Goku. I don't want you to feel like I'm butting in or something."

Goku blinked at Tien, giving him a smile after a moment and walked over to put his hands on the other man's shoulders. "As far as I'm concerned, _we_ are his fathers. It makes my heart soar to hear him call you Dad. And, you know, if you wanted to call him Son, I would be more than okay with that. We are family, aren't we?" he asked, letting a hand come up and cover the mating mark on Tien's neck, brushing against it affectionately.

A shiver ran down Tien's spine as Goku touched the mark on his neck. "We are," he answered. His heart swelled at the thought of being able to call Goten his son, too. He'd thought about it for awhile now, but as he'd said, he didn't want to overstep his boundaries and had let the subject lie. "Thank you, Goku," he said and pulled his husband close for a tender, lingering kiss as he wrapped his arms around the shorter man.

Goku purred against him, kissing him back just as gently. He would never get tired of this, of his mates. They were perfect. He pulled back and gave him another smile, "Come on, let's go hound those two for dinner. I'm starving." He laughed and slipped his arm around Tien's waist as the shut the cellar door and walked back to the cabin. "It really looks amazing, the new cabin. You've outdone yourself. It's going to last us a few lifetimes."

* * *

><p>Tien sat back from the table and groaned. "I ate way too much you guys," he admitted. He knew he should've stopped with the third helping of deer steak, but he just couldn't stop himself. Steak, mushrooms, onions, with loaded baked potatoes. He was in heaven. He pressed a fist to his mouth to stifle a belch and his face turned a bit red. "Good gods, Goku. They really are fattening us up for the kill. We gotta keep those two out of the kitchen."<p>

"No one force-fed you, you know," Sabriena teased back. She was proud of herself and Goten for the meal they'd prepared. It was pretty spectacular if she did say so herself. She sat back in her own chair and slapped a hand to her stomach. "Goten, I think I agree with Tien. You gotta stop cooking so good. I'm going to get fat." She snickered and wrinkled her nose at him before she reached over and ruffled his hair. "Best little chef in the world."

Goten giggled at her. "Don't worry! Maybe Daddy can train us extra hard tomorrow to work it all off! And then we can do it again!" he said with a snicker as he looked over at his two dads, both looking full and rubbing their stomachs. "Heheh, maybe we did make it too good."

Goku laughed, "I know you made it too good. You'll have to roll me into bed tonight, I'm not sure that I can move! Oh! Did you guys make anything for dessert?"

Sabriena groaned exaggeratedly. "Yessssss," she answered and forced herself to get up from the chair. "C'mon, short stuff. Your dads want their dessert." She smiled as Goten happily bounced after her into the kitchen and they returned shortly with big slices of apple pie. She handed a piece to Goku before she sat in her chair with her own and gave an approving nod as Goten gave a piece to Tien. "I don't know if I can eat this," she muttered, but picked up her fork anyway.

Tien practically had to force himself to eat the pie, even though it was delicious. "Oh my god," he drawled around a mouthful. He swallowed harshly as he finished off his plate. "No more or I'm gonna be sick." He heaved a big sigh and looked over at Goten. "Hey, kiddo, I think it's about time for bed. Marron's birthday party is tomorrow. You don't want to be sleepy for that. You want me to tuck you in and read you a story?" he offered.

Goten's eyes widened and he nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, please! Mom! Daddy! You should come up too!" he said excitedly as he hurried to put the dishes in the wash bin before he scrambled over to the ladder and climbed up to the loft. He really did love it up there. It was like his own little hideout. He peered over the railing at the moaning and groaning adults, still full from dinner. "Ya coming?" he asked curiously.

Tien managed to push himself out of his chair and he kicked off his boots before he climbed the ladder up to the loft. "Alright kid, get changed into some pajamas and get a book," he said as he laid back heavily on the bed with a groan. His eyes felt heavy as he laid on the squashy mattress. "Hurry up before I pass out in your bed," he chuckled.

"So many rungs," Sabriena grumbled as she climbed up into the loft. "Here, Goten. Let's get you changed." She opened the bag of clothes Gohan had sent and pulled out some pajamas to help him change. "We need to get some clothes to keep here for you. Tien built you that dresser. Might as well use it. That'll make it easier on Gohan and Lindsey when you come to visit, too." She yanked the shirt down over his head and planted a little kiss on his nose. "Go get you a book."

Goten giggled and hurried off to the bookshelf as he looked over the titles. He picked out a rather thick book and pulled it off the shelf and hurried over to the bed and climbed up in it handing the book to Tien. "Harry Potter!" he announced proudly, before he laughed at Goku for flying up into the loft instead of using the ladder. "That's cheating, Dad!"

Goku laughed as he landed down on the floor. "No it's not! I'm so full, I was sure I would have fallen off of that thing and then you all would laugh at me because I couldn't get up again," he teased and crawled into bed as well, pulling Sabriena into his lap as he peered over her shoulder at their husband, "Which one is it? Chamber of Secrets, huh? That's a good one!"

Sabriena settled back against Goku and let him wrap her up in his strong arms as Tien began to read to Goten. She smiled sleepily at the way Goten cuddled up to Tien's side and listened eagerly to the story. But she could see the tiredness in his face, the way his eyes grew heavy. Tien's low voice was hypnotic as he read aloud and she tried to stop herself from yawning but didn't quite manage it. "He's gonna put me to sleep," she whispered to Goku.

Tien threaded his fingers through Goten's hair as the little boy leaned heavily against his side. He was used to Sabriena being the one to read aloud, but he didn't mind this. He became so wrapped up in reading the story that he wasn't sure at what point Goten fell asleep, but he heard a loud snore from the little Saiyan and he stopped his reading to smile. "He's out," he said to his husband and wife as he shifted Goten to lay his head on the pillow and covered him up a little better with the blanket. "Come on, let's go to bed. Busy day tomorrow."

Goku chuckled. "Sabriena's out too," he said, looking down at the sleeping woman in his arms. He smiled over at Tien, watching the other man run his fingers through his son's hair. "You did good, Daddy. Let's get to sleep," he said as he floated over the railing, carrying Sabriena in his arms.

Tien got out of the bed and smoothed the blankets once more as he smiled at Goten. "Goodnight, son," he rumbled and kissed Goten's forehead before he put the book away and hopped the railing to land next to their own bed on the lower level. He smiled at Sabriena's sleeping form in the bed and peeled off his shirt before he crawled in to lay next to her. He smiled at Goku, who was laying in the same spot he used to sleep in under the window. "I had fun today. Thanks, for, you know, everything."


	8. Marron's Birthday Party

Tora grinned as he strolled down the inclined path towards the playground, swinging the bright pink gift bag with Marron's presents inside. He'd managed to talk Catie into going to the toy store for him after bribing her with a good sparring match, a Monty Python marathon, and a rather large bag of candy. Catie had tried to negotiate learning his heart-crushing technique, but Tora had adamantly refused. Catie managed to find a rather beautiful pink unicorn stuffed animal and an incredibly glittery hot pink picture frame for the photo of Marron's parents.

It looked like everyone had arrived before him, gathering together beneath the open-air pavilion, the table covered in brightly colored gifts and a large cake. He walked over and set the gift on the table before turning to look at the children running and climbing all over the playground equipment. A chain link fence behind the pavilion kept the children from tumbling down the steep incline while still providing a beautiful view of the lake. The summer air was already sweltering hot and Tora wiped the sweat from his forehead, smiling at Goku and his mates. Tora rather liked them; he and Tien had gone hunting a couple times together and Tora thought he might do just about anything to get a bite of Sabriena's cooking. "Love this weather," he grinned at Goku. It was true. Saiyans were definitely warm-weather people.

Goku chucked, "Oh man! I know it! If I thought I could get away with it, I'd take cat naps all the time in the sun!" He winked at Tien, "That is, if there weren't so many chores to do. Ah well, I gotta save up for winter!" He gave an involuntary shiver, watching as the kids all ran back and forth around on the playground.

Jenny leaned back against Piccolo as she watched the children. She couldn't stop the small laugh that worked its way past her lips at Goku's shiver. She looked over at Sabriena, giving her a wink, "It's a wonder you can get that one out of bed on a cold day, hmm? Or does he just crawl into the fireplace until spring?"

Goku tilted his head back, smiling at Jenny upside down, "I tried that once, it wasn't much fun. Much easier just to hide under the covers and take prisoners as they walk by. I pride myself on warm cuddles." He said in an almost serious voice.

"He totally does," Sabriena laughed. "Can't do anything in the winter near the bed or the next thing you know, he just snatches ya and pulls you under the blankets. He gets me every time." She paused and shot Goku a wink. "It's really funny to watch him try to take Tien prisoner, though. Tien tries to fight back."

Tien snickered and shook his head at the memory. "We can't hibernate all winter long," he said and looked pointedly at Goku. He turned his attention back to Jenny. "So are you feeling okay? You look better than the last time we saw you, kiddo."

Jenny couldn't stop smiling at the image her mind was coming up with, Goku hiding under the covers and tackling Tien to drag him under the covers. She shook her head and looked to Tien, "I am feeling better. My hormones are just a bit out of it, but I'm managing. Pills are a wondrous thing for that kind of stuff." She looked back at her husband, "He's been a saint through it all, even when I accidentally got upset over a pillow. I had my reasons, though!" She chuckled and sobered up, "I start chemo in three weeks and a couple of days."

Piccolo gave a soft snort at the mention of the pillow. He had to keep reminding himself to be patient, that this was an adjustment period for her. But damn if he wasn't spending more and more time meditating whenever he could.

Sabriena got up and went over to Jenny and planted a big kiss on her forehead. "I'm glad you're okay," she said and hugged her friend. She narrowed her eyes at Piccolo over Jenny's shoulder. "Watch him. He'll pick you up and throw you out in the hallway if you fight with him about that damn bed."

Jenny chuckled and looked a little embarrassed as she hugged Sabriena back tightly, "I ah, actually threw him out. But in my defense, I immediately realized I was wrong and let him back in. I'm sure he was tempted to toss me."

"HA!" Sabriena cried and pointed at Piccolo. "That's what you get! Jenny finally avenged me." She squeezed Jenny a little tighter before she went and plopped herself down in Goku's lap.

Piccolo's eye twitched and he pressed his lips together to bite back a remark towards Sabriena. Instead he just put his arm around Jenny and turned to watch their daughters as they ran around on the playground, squealing and laughing, having the time of their lives. He lowered his face next to her ear and said in a low voice, "I'm glad you decided to come today."

Jenny smiled and leaned back against him, turning her face to his. Her nose squashed into his cheek and she smiled. "Thanks for convincing me to come. This was a good idea. It feels good to be out with friends and family," she said, and she meant it. It made the road ahead look a little less bleak.

Eighteen was trying to make everything perfect, and with Bulma's help it was. The food was all here, the cake was pristine. She took a moment to rub her hand over her face. It was the first birthday for Marron since her father died. She shook her head, knowing somewhere up there Krillin was probably watching them. Maybe that King Kai or whoever Goku wouldn't shut up about was letting Krillin listen in on today. She looked over everything, before she looked back to Bulma about to open her mouth when she paused, seeing Tora. She grabbed the nearest person next to her, who happened to be Catie, "What is that doing here?"

Catie yelped as Eighteen's nails dug into her arm. "Marron invited him!" she answered. "I thought you knew that. He had an invitation from her and everything. He asked me to pick up the presents for her. He did a really good job, too. Better than my idea for a marshmallow gun..." She cringed at the expression on Eighteen's face. "I didn't get her one! Trunks said no." She looked over at the tall Saiyan, wondering how Marron had managed to invite him without her mother's knowledge. "Eighteen, he's not so bad," she said in a low tone. "Really, he's actually pretty damn cool once you get to know him."

Eighteen let go of Catie, sending her daughter a look but was ignored. She groaned and rubbed her face, she could almost hear her late husband in the back of her head, '_Aw, come on Eighteen. He did save our baby's life. At least let him eat some cake before you send him away.'_ She looked back at Tora and then at her daughter, mumbling under her breath, "We are going to have a serious talk when you and I get home ." She sighed, looking at the group before she threw her arms up and stalked away fiddle with the decorations.

Tora saw Eighteen out of the corner of his eye, the look she'd given him as she stormed away. "Eh, hold that thought, Kakarot," he said, pausing Goku's story about the time he and Tien went bear hunting. He followed Eighteen, determined to get her to talk to him. "She invited me, you know," he said to her back. "I came because she asked me to, not to make you uncomfortable. Can't we at least be civil? Neither one of us is going away anytime soon and with as often as these guys want everyone to get together, it's going to make for a lot of awkward moments."

Eighteen wanted to turn, she wanted to snap, to yell at him, but her daughter invited him. And when she had told her daughter how it happened, how Krillin had died, who had been at the end of the blast, no matter how she tried or wanted to paint that picture, it hadn't been Tora. It had been another. Another, while this man turned and started defending Goku when he was hurt. She exhaled and closed her eyes as tears slipped down her cheeks. No matter what she did, ignoring this man, shouting at him, punching him. It wasn't going to bring Krillin back. And if she became that woman who yelled at parties, made her children look at her like she was some sort of irrational bitch. Her mind drifted over Chichi for a moment with disgust and she turned back to Tora. She could at least honestly say she liked him better than that cold hearted shrew.

"We can be civil," she said flatly and immediately felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. And if she had listened real hard, she would have heard something quite similar to _'That's my girl'_ on the breeze. She let out the breath she had been holding. "Don't think we will be friends or whatever you were hoping we would be. Your friends still murdered my husband. But you didn't. And you did save my daughter." She sighed and ran a hand through her blonde hair, "Thank you for saving her. If I had lost her that day, that part of him, I don't know what I would have done."

It was more than Tora had hoped for and all he asked. "I couldn't stand by and let her get hurt," he answered. "I sort of made a promise to not let anything bad happen to you or your daughter. I know Daikon killed your husband and you're right, he was my friend. But that doesn't mean I condone what he did." He lowered his voice, "Eighteen, if I could change it, I would." He didn't know what else to say, how he could make this any more tolerable for her. He just wanted to get to a point where every time she looked at him, she didn't think of her husband's death. He wanted to say something that would make it better, but as always, words failed him. He was opening his mouth to try and speak again, but little Marron came running over, her little face sweating and bright red, a stark contrast to her blonde hair. She was grinning excitedly up at him, as if she had been worried that he might not show up. "Happy Birthday, little one," he smiled.

Any words Eighteen might have said died on her tongue and she looked down at her daughter, pure innocence. She almost felt foolish for letting her hate guide her actions, her daughter seeing more clearly than she had. Then again, she didn't have to hold her dying father as he bled to death in her arms, whispering words of, "I love you" and "Take care, take care of our baby." She wiped her tears away as she watched Marron bounce up and down.

"You came! You came! You came! I'm so happy!" she cried and jumped up into his arms giving him a big hug, as much as she could manage with her tiny arms.

Tora grinned and hugged her back, taking care not to squeeze her tiny frame too tightly. "I told you I would," he chuckled. He shifted her in his arms, moving her to sit on his shoulder. "Come on, birthday girl," he grinned. "I think it's about time you dug into that cake." He gave a small smile to Eighteen, then headed over to the pavilion as the other kids came running, excited about the cake and ice cream.

It was a nice party; everyone thoroughly enjoyed the cold ice cream on such a hot day. Tora didn't join in on the singing; he didn't sing, he didn't know the song anyway, and it felt sort of silly. But Marron beamed when she blew out her candles and she was more than excited about all the presents everyone gave her.

"Last one!" little Trunks grinned and shoved Tora's present towards Marron.

Marron giggled excitedly, already wearing a little tiara and a bright pink feathered boa, and new shoes from Sabriena. She was sitting on a quilt made from some of the softest fur she had ever felt in her life that Tien had given her. She clapped her hands and dove into the last present, her eyes going big when she pulled out the unicorn, "He's so fluffy! I'm gonna die!" She hugged it tightly under her arm and reached into the bag again, pulling out the wrapped picture frame which she eagerly tore apart and stopped short when she saw her mommy and daddy smiling at her. Her breath caught. Her daddy. She ran a hand over his smiling face.

Eighteen remembered as she saw the picture, 'I want the world to know that I have the best woman on the face of the planet as my fiancee!' She could almost hear him laughing as the picture was being taken. 'Come 'ere beautiful! Let's get a picture together.' Eighteen quickly turned her head and wiped away the tears in her eyes, looking over at Tora, "How… how did you get that picture?"

Tora looked only slightly guilty as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I might've had a little help," he admitted, casting a glance at Trunks, who had suddenly taken an extreme interest in the clouds, whistling to himself. _'Way to be conspicuous, bud,'_ Tora thought to himself. "I just wanted to do something nice for her," he said softly, hoping the others weren't listening to him as they cut the cake and passed it around. He beamed at the way Marron hugged the unicorn and showed everyone the picture of her parents. "She needs to see you happy. And she needs to remember him." He hoped he was doing this right. Truth be told, he didn't have a clue what he was doing or trying to accomplish, but all he knew was that this woman and that little girl deserved to be happy.

Eighteen felt her eyes tearing up. Looking at the picture again, she wiped her eyes, not trusting her voice but nodded. She looked at him again, looking him over. In truth, she didn't see the horrible monster from Leelee's vision, the blood soaked carnage. Her daughter was happy and loved the gift and in truth, she didn't have a picture quite like that of her husband. It was perfect for little Marron. "She loves it," she said quietly, swallowing thickly, "Thank you." She wandered over to the cake table to help cut, she cut extra-large slices for the Saiyans, setting the one for Tora on the table and nudging it in his direction.

The children practically inhaled their cake and ice cream before rushing back out to play again. Tora felt a million times better now that Eighteen wasn't giving him death-glares every three seconds. He wasn't quite sure how he got suckered into pushing the kids on the swings and spinning them on the merry-go-round, but he found he didn't mind. After quite a while of playing with them, he finally wandered back over to the adults, ignoring the way Vegeta smirked at him. He lost himself in conversation, thinking to himself how happy he was that he had agreed to go that day.

"Come on, we can get a better view of the lake if we climb over the fence!" little Trunks encouraged, dragging Goten and Paige along with him. Alice followed behind, crossing her arms and shaking her head.

"You think it's safe?" Goten asked.

"Of course it is!"' Trunks insisted. "Come on you guys. Paige, you're not a scaredy cat, are you? Come on, Marron!"

Marron looked at the ledge on the other side of the fence with apprehension in her eyes and she clutched her unicorn tighter. "I... I dunno guys, I don't..."

Paige laughed. "Come on! It's fun! You'll see!" she said happily and started climbing the fence. Her Papaw said you couldn't use energy for everything, and climbing the fence just sounded like fun.

Marron bit her lip before she smiled and nodded, "Kay!" She climbed after them, surely they would help her when she was over there.

"Man, it got quiet," Lindsey said, sitting up straighter and looking around as she cradled a sleeping Phoenix in her arms. "Where are the kids?"

Everyone suddenly looked around, blinking at each other with expressions that clearly said_, 'but I thought YOU were watching them!' _

Tora's eyes fell on the kids who had climbed the fence and were standing on a large rock that jutted out from the cliff. He started to call out to them to come back over the fence, but the next second there was a tremendous rumbling sound and everything around them began to shake, the presents and cups of punch rattling off of the table top. "What the hell?!" Tora cried in surprise.

The last time Eighteen had felt the ground shake that much was when she was attacking the Saiyans, Kadar landing on the ground to kill them all. Her eyes went wide at the sound of something ripping and with horror she realized it was the ground.

Jenny stood up so fast her chair toppled over, "It's an earthquake! PAIGE! ALICE!"

Goku held onto Sabriena, shouting, "KIDS!"

Tora was on his feet in an instant, having been the only one who had spotted the children. He nearly heaved a sigh of relief as Trunks, Paige, and Goten shot up into the air, their energy suspending them above the shaking ground. But poor little Marron clung to her unicorn, cowering on that rock that was breaking away from the ground as if in slow motion. "MARRON!" Tora screamed as the rock gave way and she disappeared over the side of the cliff with it. He launched himself into the air, flying as fast as he could, her scream echoing in his ears. He saw the rock fall end over end in the air as he flew for her, but it smacked her in the head, knocking her unconscious before he could reach her. "NO!" With every bit of energy he had, Tora dove, catching her in his arms before she hit the big flat rocks below. He shot ahead of the rock landed, cradling her in his arms, feeling the blood making his fingers sticky and hot, his only focus on her. He didn't even think about the big rock falling towards them as his tail whipped the air behind him, his thoughts on the tiny girl in his arms. Tora yowled in pain the next second as the rock landed on his tail, paralyzing him, but he still managed to cling to Marron, leaning over her, protecting her from the smaller rocks that still rained down upon them.

Goku flew over the next instant, hearing the ear-piercing cry through the air as Tora's tail was smashed and he dove down, blasting the rock to pieces before he landed next to them. "Are you guys alright?!" he cried as the ground stopped trembling.

Eighteen was the next to fly over, dropping down fast, her eyes going wide at the sight of her baby, limp, her head red with blood. "MARRON!" she screeched, gathering her from Tora, tears welling up in her eyes as she fell to her knees, "No! No, no, NO Baby! Please, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME. You can't leave me!" She leaned forward, sobbing, pressing her head to Marron's.

Dende landed next to them, hearing Eighteen's cries made him move faster than lightning. "Here, quickly! Let me see!" he said, his hands glowing with a golden light, her cut healing, but he frowned. He couldn't see her clearly, the way he could see everyone else when they were injured. It was as if... He looked worriedly up at Eighteen, "I can't... I can't wake her. I can't heal deep inside of her. Her head, something isn't right."

Eighteen broke down and cried, holding her, "What do I do? What do I do?!" She was quickly becoming panicked, not thinking clearly as she held her daughter's limp body in her arms.

Tora thought he might vomit from the pain in his tail, but his worry for Marron was too great to worry about himself.

Vegeta was there with them the next instant, after making sure Paige, Alice and Trunks were okay. "Kakarot, take them to the hospital," he ordered. "They may be able to do something for her that Dende cannot." He turned his attention to Tora, the way his bleeding tail was kinked, bone showing through the fur. "Oh Jesus." He blinked at Goku, the fear evident in Goku's eyes at the thought of a hospital and needles. "KAKAROT!" he bellowed, grabbing his wrist and placing Goku's hand on Eighteen's shoulder. "Take them there now! We'll meet you as soon as we can!"

Goku shook his head, pressing his fingers to his forehead, Eighteen held tightly onto Marron, Dende holding onto Eighteen and Tora as they arrived at the hospital room in the waiting room.

Eighteen rushed up to the counter, quickly showing them her baby girls bloodied head which sparked an immediate response.

Dende put a hand on Tora's shoulder, feeling the pain the Saiyan was in. "That was a brave thing you did. Please let me help. It is the least I can do." He knelt and held his hands over Tora's tail, watching as the bone set itself and the bleeding stopped.

Tora shivered in relief, the pain vanishing almost instantly. "Thank you," he said without tearing his eyes away from Marron as the nurses rushed out and laid her on a stretcher, hurrying her back down the hallway. Eighteen tried to go with them, but they insisted that they needed space to work and she was left in the waiting room alone, her daughter's blood staining her fingers. Tora cursed, curling his hands into fists. Why her? Why today, of all days? He felt sick for Eighteen. If she lost her baby girl, there would be no bringing Eighteen back from that. Her husband and her daughter in less than a year? It wasn't fair and he felt helpless to do anything to make it better for her.

Eighteen felt so lost, being told to stay behind. All she wanted to do was be by her daughter's side. Her last family in this world, the last piece of her husband. Would the gods be so cruel? She felt herself being led back to a chair by Goku as he sat next to her, trying to speak comforting words to her, but she wouldn't hear it, screaming out and weakly punching at him until he got up. She was left alone, given her space while she sobbed.

"Damn it all," Tora growled, running a hand through his hair, turning away from Eighteen. The sound of her sobbing like that would haunt him forever, he was certain of it. He ran a hand roughly over his face, looking to the other men who were standing near him. "What do we do?" he whispered. "There has to be something we can do."

Dende shook his head, cursing the gods. "There is nothing we can do," he answered in a hushed tone. He felt sick to his stomach, looking over at Eighteen again. "We can gather the dragonballs. If she dies, we can wish her back. That's the only thing I can think of."

Goku winced, running a hand over his face. "But that's the last thing we want. Parents… they..." He looked to Tora as if trying to explain a riddle, "You never want to see your child die. It's a pain I would wish upon no one. I saw my son die once. Even though the Fates brought him back, I will never get that image of Gohan out of my head." He scrubbed at his eye with the heel of his hand as if trying to will away a mental image. "Marron is going to survive this. Dende healed her. She's going to be fine," he said, but didn't sound entirely convinced himself.

Bulma came hurrying in, closely followed by Vegeta, Sabriena and Tien. She looked at Vegeta's knowingly, squeezing his bicep before she went over to Eighteen, holding the woman as she sobbed harder.

Tien shook his head, "This isn't right."

"The other kids are okay," Sabriena said quietly, sliding her arms around Goku's waist. She dragged her free hand over her face, reaching for Tien and pulling him closer. Her heart had nearly stopped when the earthquake hit, thinking she was going to lose Goten. She leaned her face into Goku's chest for a minute, letting out a slow exhale. "How's Marron?" she asked, her tone hushed.

Goku shook his head. "We don't know anything yet."

"What the hell happened?" Tien demanded. He looked to Tora, "All I saw was you running and dive over the cliff and Piccolo heard Dende trying to heal Marron and the next thing we knew, we felt everyone's energies appear here. We knew it had to be something bad to convince Goku to go to a hospital."

Tora's shoulders sank. "I tried to save her, but that bolder hit the back of her head. I managed to catch her before she hit the rocks, but I don't know if it did any good," he answered, moving to lean against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. His tail was swinging behind him in an irritated sort of way as he frowned, angry with himself.

Goku hugged Sabriena tightly, remembering the ordeal they went through not long ago to get Sabriena back. He felt horrible and the more he looked around the more he didn't like standing in the hospital. It was bad enough they'd just been there the week before with Jenny. He didn't know if he could take much more of it. "I'm going to get some fresh air," he said before he kissed the top of Sabriena's head and gave Tien a quick hug before he went outside.

Dende rubbed his hand over his head, his antennae twitching, thinking of Rose, sensing she was alright. He sighed, "I'm so sorry Eighteen. I don't know what happened. I don't know why I couldn't heal her. "

Eighteen just shook her head, letting Bulma hold her.

Tora was restless as they waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

He couldn't believe how long they were making Eighteen wait to see her own daughter. He gave a little jump when the nurse came in and asked for Eighteen. He listened as the nurse spoke, his heart sinking when he heard that there was a chance little Marron might not wake up. She was stable for the moment, but that was it. Tora felt like punching something, wanting to roar out his frustration. Didn't this planet have better medical technology than that?! The only answer they had to heal Jenny was to remove body parts and now they couldn't even guarantee that little Marron would survive a blow to the head? What kind of backwater planet was this?

He moved to follow Eighteen down the hall, shooting the nurse a menacing look as if to challenge her to tell him to wait outside. Bulma and Vegeta walked ahead of him, Bulma still holding on to Eighteen. Tora stopped in the doorway as Eighteen cried out and ran to her daughter's side in that little hospital room. Tora ran a hand over his face, not knowing what in the world he was supposed to do now.

Eighteen was horrified to see her little baby girl laying on that hospital bed, tubes and wires here and there, her head bandaged where the boulder hit her. As if that was going to do anything. She wanted to gather her little girl up and take her away, back home. "Marron. Baby please… Wake up," she said in a firm tone as if she could rouse her daughter by using her mom-voice. Something broke in her as her daughter laid there completely unresponsive. "Please wake up. Don't leave me here alone… Krillin, please make her wake up," she sobbed incoherently.

Bulma bit her lip, moving to hug her mate, her arms slipping around his waist. She was starting to feel like Goku. She hated being in hospitals.

Vegeta frowned as he looked at Marron and pulled Bulma into his arms, wrapping his tail around her waist. He felt the sudden urge to go to his granddaughters and his youngest son, to pull them into his arms and just hold them, protect them. He'd never felt a pull like that before, but he knew it was from seeing how distraught Eighteen was.

Tora sank into a crouch, sitting on his heels, his hands clasped together as he stared worriedly at the little girl who had been so kind and trusting of him when no one else would. Marron was the first to trust him. And now he had let her down. He was going to make this up to her somehow. He had to. He stood again and went to stand next to Eighteen, reaching to place his hand on her back, but letting it fall back to his side before he touched her. She'd hit Goku for trying to comfort her and they were friends. What would she do to him if he tried to comfort her now? "I'm sorry," he said softly, the only thing he could think to say at the moment.

Eighteen only cried harder hearing the words of comfort. "Make her wake up, please make her wake up," she repeated.

"I would if I could," Tora answered quietly. "Eighteen... believe me... I would."

Bulma sighed, knowing that her friend was just going to have to wait to get through this. She looked at Tora; he was really the best person to be with her right now, she grudgingly admitted. Eighteen could punch, kick and scream at him all she wanted and Tora could just stand there and take it. She looked around. There was another empty bed in the well as a couch and few uncomfortable chairs. She swallowed hard and look at Vegeta, "Will you go check on our children? I want to know they're safe."

Vegeta knew they were okay, but he nodded and pulled Bulma closer for just a minute, leaning his face into her hair before he turned and left the room without saying a word.

Tora sighed, not knowing what to do. He wanted to make it better, to take away her pain, but no matter what he thought of, it seemed like it would get him slapped. Maybe that's what she needed to do anyway, was to hit someone. He decided to take his chances and placed a strong hand on her shoulder, stepping closer to her. "She's going to be okay."

Eighteen felt a rage build up in her at the touch and she jumped to her feet, shrugging off his hand and pushing him away. "NO! You don't know that! You dont know!" She punched him then, drawing her fist back and letting it fly, her anger only growing when she saw that he didnt even flinch. She cried out and flew at him, banging her fists on his chest each hit weaker than the last.

Tora stood as still as a statue, letting her take her aggression out on him. He was surprised at how powerful her punches were; he hadn't realized how strong of a fighter she was. But he was able to keep his expression calm and just stand there, taking the punches until she started to give out, her emotions taking over. He grabbed her shoulders then, giving her a little shake to make her look up at him. "We have to believe it," he answered. "For Marron's sake. You HAVE to believe she will be okay!"

Eighteen blinked at him for a moment, feeling drained emotionally, physically. She ran a hand through her hair and turned back to the bed, looking at her little baby. She looked so helpless laying there.

Tora placed both of his hands on her shoulders, looking down at the little girl, wishing with every part of his being that she would wake up and smile at her mother. But poor Marron just laid there, perfectly still, her face expressionless.

Tora made up his mind then. He was going to stay here with Eighteen as much as he could, to help her in any way he could, even if it meant just being her punching bag when she needed it.


	9. The Nerve of Some People

Tora sighed and quietly closed his book as he looked over at Eighteen. She was sitting in a chair next to her daughter's bed, staring at Marron. Her blue eyes were bloodshot and heavy-looking as she chewed absentmindedly at her nails. She looked absolutely heartbroken.

Everyone else had gone home several hours before, but Tora had been adamant about staying to keep an eye on Marron. Eighteen had been too upset and too worried over Marron to argue. Seventeen had come to the hospital after he and Leelee cleaned up the party and he stayed for quite awhile, just sitting silently by his sister until he started to doze off and she sent him home.

Tora and Eighteen now sat on opposite sides of the room in complete silence, other than the methodical beep of the machines and the occasional crackle of paper as Tora turned the pages of his book. Only once had Tora suggested that she try to sleep, and he was met with nothing but an icy stare from the beautiful android.

He set his book on the little table and got to his feet, stretching his arms over his head for a moment. "I'll be back," he said in a low voice as he scratched at the base of his ponytail and headed out into the hallway. The lights were dimmed and quiet as he wandered along, his stomach rumbling. He hadn't really eaten much that day, but he didn't feel much like eating. And from what he gathered from Goku's opinion was that hospital food sucked anyway. He had a sudden thought and followed the signs to the exit, stepping out into the warm night air.

There was a coffee shop just down the street from the hospital; he'd found it when he'd been visiting Jenny after her surgery. He let his feet carry him that way, praying that they were still open. The rich scent of coffee met his nose before he even saw the shop and he smiled to himself. If Eighteen wouldn't rest, then coffee had to be the next best thing.

He was greeted as he walked in and he glanced over the menu only briefly. Good lord, it always amazed him how many options there were for coffee. "Gimme two of the ven… vent… How the hell do you say that? The big ones. Black," he said, giving up on ever pronouncing it correctly. He sighed and looked around at the little shop to admire the artwork on the walls as the barista filled the styrofoam cups. "Good coffee. Great food. Fantastic artwork and books. Shitty medical facilities," he muttered under his breath. It seemed backwards to him. There was a lot about this planet he didn't understand.

His stomach rumbled again and his attention was drawn back to the display of pastries in the glass case. He ignored the strange look the barista gave him when he ordered the entire batch of blueberry scones and he openly laughed at the wide-eyed expression he got when he used his tail to carry the box of pastries. What other option did he have? His hands were full with the two large cups of coffee.

Thoughts of how to make this easier on Eighteen swarmed his mind as he walked back into the hospital. He hoped Marron would wake up soon and be just fine. But just in case it took longer than they expected, he wanted to keep Eighteen occupied, to ease her worry somehow without coming on too strong or overwhelming her somehow. While he had been romantically interested in her before, he now pushed all thoughts of that from his mind. Now was not the time to act like some sort of predator, to take advantage of her in a weak moment. Even if it would work, which he doubted, he didn't want that. If she ever did come around, he wanted it to be a conscious choice on her part and not in a desperate moment of searching for comfort. Eighteen didn't need a lover right now. She needed a friend.

He used his hip to open the door to Marron's room, a smile on his face as he prepared to announce the fresh coffee he brought, when a nurse's words hit his ears and left him frozen in his steps.

"I don't know why we bother. Most of these patients never wake up. What a fucking waste of time." The nurse turned as she finished her sentence, her eyes widening as she saw Tora. She stuttered for words, "I'm sorry sir, no visitors after hours. Family only." She moved from where she had been checking on Marron's condition, trying to move around him to call for security.

Tora didn't know why the nurse's words infuriated him so. Most of the time he could ignore hopelessly stupid people like that, but hearing her say something so heartless about poor little Marron made his temper boil. His hands clenched around the styrofoam cups until they burst and the hot coffee poured over his hands. He didn't even notice it. "I AM family," he snarled, sounding more animal than man in that moment. "I've been here all day. Or are you really THAT stupid?"

The woman's eyes widened at his actions, the way the coffee spilled over his hands. Blisters appeared within seconds before she looked back up at his eyes, recoiling from the anger she saw in them, "I'm sorry, I didn't think… didn't know that anyone was going to be in here…" Awake, she was about to say, considering the hour, but she held her tongue. She was in so much trouble, she scolded herself.

Tora dropped the crushed cups and grabbed the nurse by the arm and hauled her out of the room. "Did you ever stop to think that perhaps these patients can hear you?" he growled, nearly baring his teeth. "Don't you dare come back in this room. I want a new nurse. Now! Hopefully someone a little more professional than you. And don't get too comfortable, I imagine you'll be, what is the term? Slinging burgers pretty soon. Now get out of here!"

Eighteen watched as the nurse scrambled from Tora's grasp, running down the hall. Her own anger at the girl seemed to go with her. She stayed still on her chair next to Marron as Tora returned to his seat on the other side, looking sadly at the cups of coffee that had been crushed. She looked back at him. Feeling a bit apprehensive, but thankful, she looked up at him, "Thanks for that. Sorry about your coffee."

Tora looked up from his burnt hands and blinked at her. "That was supposed to be YOUR coffee," he answered in a disappointed voice. He huffed and set the box of scones on the table next to him. At least they weren't destroyed. He opened the box and offered it towards her. "Pastry?" He didn't know what else to do. He was still seething at the words from that nurse. "Sorry you heard all that," he muttered and cast a hateful glance at the door. "Inconsiderate little bitch."

Eighteen looked at the pastry in his hands, unable to stop the icy look she sent him before she struggled to correct herself. "Thank you for that. I only heard the last bit before you walked in the room," she said as she sat up straighter, running a hand over her daughter's head, through her silken blonde strands. "Go get some more," she said, reaching into her back pocket and pulling out her card.

Tora shook his head and stood up again. "I can pay for it," he said, refusing to take her card. "It was supposed to be a treat." He grabbed one of the scones and woofed it down quickly before he licked his fingers clean to head out again. He hissed at the blisters on his fingers and shook his head. "Dammit all," he growled. "I'll be back."

Eighteen frowned after him. "Wait just a moment," she said a bit more sternly than she had intended. She walked to the door and leaned against it, holding out her card, "Bring us back something substantial to eat. I want a double cheeseburger with all the fixins from the diner across the street. Don't skimp on the fries or I'll cut off your tail. Get whatever you want. They serve breakfast all day long, all night long, whatever you like."

He reluctantly took the card from her and slid it into his back pocket. He waved his tail in front of her eyes, "You wouldn't dare. My tail turns you on and you know it." He gave her a wink and a charming smile before he ducked out of the room, afraid she was going to punch him again.

He saw the nurse at the main desk and gave her a hateful glare as he passed. He was going to say something to a supervisor first thing in the morning when he got a chance. That was completely unacceptable as far as he was concerned. He shook his head as he hurried outside once again and across the street to the diner. He ordered Eighteen's food first, just to make sure that he didn't forget anything, fearful that she might actually make good on her threat. The women here on earth seemed to have something against tails - Kakarot didn't have his anymore, neither did Trunks or Goten. It made him shiver as he wondered how they lost their tails, but he didn't want to ask. He ordered a proper-sized Saiyan meal and paid with his own money, figuring Eighteen would never know the difference anyway. He wanted to do this for her. He returned shortly and set her food down next to her. "There ya go, doll."

Eighteen gave him a look, glaring at the Saiyan. "Call me 'doll' again, I'll have that tail mounted on my wall before you even know it's gone," she said as she took the food from him, inhaling deeply at aroma wafting up from the bag. Her mouth watered as she pulled the wrapped burger from the bag. She could still hear Krillin's voice, 'Don't question what she eats! My girl has an appetite that could rival a Saiyan's if she tried!' She could have slapped him for that, but he had given her such an adorable look afterwards, she couldn't bare it. "Dammit, Krillin," she muttered under her breath.

Tora tipped his head slightly in curiosity at her muttered words, mentioning her husband's name. He decided not to put her on the spot and sat down in his chair across the room to dig into his food. He hadn't realized just how hungry he was until he really started to eat. "Good stuff," he said around a mouthful of burger as he ate. He paused in his eating to watch her for a moment. Something in his chest warmed at the way she hungrily ate the huge burger, pausing to take big swallows of her milkshake and munch on fries before she went at it again. It was amusing to him to see her eat like that. She had a huge appetite for someone her size. "Remind me not to come between you and your dinner," he chuckled as he tore into his own again. "You sure you're not part Saiyan?" he teased as he continued to chew his food.

Eighteen calmly shifted her burger in her hands so she could flip him the bird, "Shut up," She said around the mouthful, "and pass me one of those scones." She pointed at the box still full of the sweet pastries." She was starved and hadn't had anything to eat all day except for a bite of ice cream at the party. She realized that her cold look didn't do anything when she was scarfing down food and tried to disguise a laugh.

Tora couldn't stop himself. He wagged his eyes at the obscene hand gesture. "Is that an offer, baby?" he purred and threw his head back to laugh at the angry scowl she gave him. He reached over and grabbed one of the scones and chucked it across the room to her. "Ah, just as well," he said as he crumpled up one of the wrappers and tossed it in the trashcan. "You couldn't handle a Saiyan anyway," he teased and grabbed another burger.

Eighteen's eye twitched at his comment and she caught the scone as she sat down her burger and tore it in half. She set one piece down and chucked the other one at Tora's head, smirking as it hit its mark, "I beat the everloving fuck out of your Prince when I first showed up, I'm sure I could give you an asskicking if you really want to try it." She warned.

Tora only snickered when the pastry hit his forehead. He wiped a bit of icing off of his face and licked it from his finger. "That's not what I was talking about," he said with an ornery grin. "But hey, I'd be up for a sparring match sometime. Don't worry. I'll go easy on ya." He shot her a wink and threw her another pastry. Something warmed in his chest at the way she'd thrown the pastry at him. Even though she seemed a bit angry, there was a playfulness in the gesture. "You just name when and where, sweetheart."

Eighteen didn't know what to think about the Saiyan. She just shook her head at him, not sure what to think, "What's with the affectionate names? I don't really think I appreciate them." She said as she finally finished off her burger and went after her fries again, pausing to dip them in her chocolate milkshake. Her eyes closed at the hot and cold treat, sweet and salty. It was perfect.

Tora shrugged as he mimicked her, wondering what was so appealing about the combination of milkshake and fries. His eyes went wide, "Holy shit, that's good." He chewed for a moment before he answered her. "I know you don't like it. I like seeing you riled up," he snickered. It always amused him when women got like that, got all huffy over little shit. He and Bardock used to tease Gine all the time.

Eighteen huffed and just shook her head at him, "Fine, I'll just kick your ass later." She said as she looked back at her daughter, thinking she would be scolding her for talking to Tora like that. She couldn't help it. She still didn't know what to think of him.

He finished off his food and sat back in his chair, stretching out with his arms behind his head. "Can't wait for it, kitten," he said and shot her a wink, nearly snorting in laughter at the furious look she gave him.

Eighteen just shook her head at him as she curled up in the chair and got as comfortable as she could. They needed to put something more comfortable in there besides the reclining chairs that barely had enough support in them. She looked at him, "Why are you here? Are you really upholding that promise you made Krillin? Or are you after something else. Trying to make yourself feel better?"

Tora's face went serious as he looked at her. "I try to keep my word," he answered sincerely. A slight frown pulled at his lips. "I've never seen the aftermath firsthand before, Eighteen. We always came in, conquered, and went home. Seeing you on that battlefield that day…" he trailed off, "Maybe I am trying to make myself feel better. I feel I owe that to your husband, to look after you. It was my crew who killed him." He sighed and looked over at Marron, feeling the guilt curl around his heart again. He hadn't even been able to keep that promise, and he had been right there when it happened. And Marron got hurt anyway.

Eighteen looked at him a moment more before she finally nodded. It sounded like an honest answer and not the bullshit someone would try to feed her if they were sucking up. She looked at her daughter and ran a hand over her head, tucking the strands of hair behind her ear. She spoke quietly, "I suppose that's all anyone can do." She remembered after the ordeal with Cell, the kindness that Krillin had showed her after all the destruction, the death that she and her brother had caused. He had given her a second chance when she didn't deserve one, "Thank you."

A small smile pulled at his lips at her words. He never thought he'd hear her say it sincerely like that. He continued to stare at Marron and his smile fell. His mouth felt dry and his throat tight as he tried to speak again. "Don't thank me just yet," he said in a hoarse whisper. "I'm not sure I deserve it."


	10. Target Practice

Tien frowned as the spindle of the bowdrill slipped from Goten's hands again. He didn't understand what was going on. Usually Goten was very attentive whenever Tien tried to teach him something, but today he just couldn't seem to focus. There was an angry expression on the little boy's face and his movements were jerky as he tried to work the bow back and forth to create a little coal. "What's the matter, Goten?" he asked.

Goten shook his head and shrugged. He didn't want to go back to Gohan's house tomorrow. He loved his brother and his nephew, loved being at the house with them, but not on days like that. Chichi was coming to visit for her court-ordered once-a-month time that she was allowed. He hated being around her and that new husband of hers. His face screwed up as the spindle slipped again and he growled in frustration as he grabbed it up once more, ignoring Tien's question.

Goku looked over from where he was working on setting out some stones for Tien to make arrowheads out of later. He reached out and ruffled his son's hair. "Hey kiddo, what's the unhappy face for? The bowdrill causing you some trouble?" He was curious as to what could have gotten his son in such a mood. He was usually so carefree when he was out here. He set the bucket of stones aside and turned towards his kid. "Hey." He poked Goten gently in his arm, then his cheek, his head.

Goten shrugged off his father's hand and threw the pieces of the bowdrill on the ground as he stood up and stomped his foot. "I don't want to go to Gohan's tomorrow!" he exclaimed, his little face going red. He met his father's eyes with a furious and frightened look. "Why do I have to see her? Chichi doesn't love me! She never did, Daddy! I don't understand why that mean ol' judge said I have to see her!"

Goku sobered up quickly at the mention of his ex-wife/ex-mate's name and suddenly understood his son's frustration. He didn't much care for the judge's ruling on that either. "I don't know why they did that either, Goten. But your brother will be there, Rose will be there. She won't hurt you. I guess she just, I don't know, wants to make sure you are doing alright. I suppose it means something that she still wants to see you. I mean, she doesn't really have anyone else to see or talk to." Though he thought it wasn't fair to Goten because Chichi's friends had all stopped going to see her because of what she did to Goten.

Tien felt like he'd swallowed a block of ice, his stomach twisting painfully at the thought of Goten having to spend any time with that woman. She wasn't his mother anymore. Sabriena was. It didn't seem right at all. "It's only for a few hours," he tried to offer. "And then you can come straight back here. I'm sorry, little man."

Goten pressed his lips to a thin line and angrily wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "I don't like her husband, either," he grumbled under his breath. "He's rude to everyone, like he's better than all of us. He just makes important calls on his phone and gives us dirty looks." He had never liked the man Chichi had married after she divorced Goku. He'd always seemed cold and disapproving of everyone around him. Gohan said to try to be nice, but it was hard to do.

Goku blinked and his eyes widened a little. "Wait, Chichi got married? When was this? How long has she been married?" He supposed he shouldn't be surprised and he really couldn't say anything about how quickly it seemed she got married after their divorce. Hell, he married Tien and Sabriena not long after it. He shared a look with Tien before he looked back at Goten, "She's probably been telling him lies about all of us too." He briefly wondered if the man had been warned what he was getting into with Chichi.

"I dunno," Goten muttered. "She's been with him for a while. She acts like he's wonderful. She even tried to get me to call him 'dad'." He snorted and kicked at one of the stones near the firepit. "I still call him Maxwell. He gets mad if you call him Max. I don't like him. And I don't like her, either!" It was so frustrating, trying to explain why he didn't like Chichi's new husband when he couldn't exactly put it into words. There was just something about the man that radiated coldness, even if other people didn't seem to notice it.

Goku couldn't stop the shudder that worked its way through his body, hearing that Chichi was trying to get Goten to call some strange man 'dad.' "You don't have to like him if you don't want to Goten; we aren't going to think differently. You definitely don't need to call him a father when he hasn't done anything for you." He looked over at Tien, feeling a protectiveness growing in him. In his mind, Tien was Goten's father as much as Goku was. Not some stranger who'd never really spent any time with Goten.

Tien nearly growled at the idea of Goten calling someone else 'dad.' He crouched down on the same level as Goten and Goku. "Your dad's right. You don't listen to her when she tells you ridiculous things like that. You hear?" he said firmly and Goten nodded. "And you ignore that guy if he's rude to you. Let him talk on that silly phone. He doesn't deserve your time anyway. YOU are the one who's better than him."

Goten let out a long sigh, his anger ebbing a little at the words from his fathers. "I just wish I could stay out here this weekend. Can't we tell Gohan to tell Chichi that I'm sick or that I ran away or something? Tell her I died so I never have to see her again!" He flung himself at them, wrapping a little arm around each of their necks. "I just wanna stay out here with you and Mommy!"

Goku chuckled and hugged his son tightly, moving to sit closer to Tien. "I think there might be a few problems if we did that, kiddo. You won't have to do this forever. When you grow up, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. You could stay out here all the time," he said, "But until then, we'd better listen to that mean ole judge." He stuck out his tongue at the thought.

Goten giggled at that. "Yeah?" he asked hopefully and his face lit up when Tien gave a nod. "I wish I was grown now. I could make all my own rules!" A dreamy expression crossed his face as he thought about living out here on Tien's land, never having to see Chichi ever again. He sighed and his face turned serious again as he looked at Goku. "You'll come get me as soon as she leaves, right? Maybe we can go visit with Marron and then see Paige? I miss Paige."

Goku smiled and nodded, ruffling his hair, "Of course I will! I wouldn't dare leave you there a second longer. And as for growing up, well, you'd better talk to your mother about that. I think she likes you the size you are. Like a little compact me she can cart around and spend money on. I think I've lost count on all those cookbooks she's bought you!"

Tien smiled as Goten finally seemed to cheer up and picked up the bowdrill again. "Don't worry, kiddo. It'll be over before you know it."

* * *

><p>Lindsey sighed and struggled to get off the couch as the doorbell rang. She really hated having to deal with her mother-in-law for these visits. It was really just about the only time they saw Chichi anymore. "Gohan! Your mother is here!" she called loudly as she finally made it to her feet. If she thought carrying one Saiyan baby was rough, she'd had no idea what it would be like with twins. This was crazy. She finally made it to the door, calling over her shoulder again, "GOHAN!" She had no idea where he was, but if he thought he was going to hide from his mother and make her deal with it, he was sadly mistaken.<p>

She forced a fake smile on her face as she opened the door to Chichi and Maxwell. "Hi," she said in a voice that dripped with sweetness. It even made her own skin crawl.

Chichi nearly rolled her eyes at her daughter-in-law. More damn babies. It just irritated her every time she saw the younger woman. "Where's Goten?" she demanded as she stepped inside without greeting and Maxwell followed behind her.

"In his room," Lindsey answered and shut the door behind them, not even bothering to say hello to Maxwell. The sleek-looking businessman already had his nose in his phone and didn't even acknowledge her anyway. She and Gohan often speculated that Chichi had married him for his money, because he bought her a fancy new car and put her up in that big house in East City. Even for all his coldness, Lindsey could see why he was successful. He was handsome and could be charming when he wanted to be. But he didn't bother with trying to charm them anymore now that he and Chichi had been married for a while. Something about him just put them off. "Goten!" she called up the stairs.

Goten cringed inside his room, letting his head thunk against the door that he had been listening through, dreading the moment he would have to come out and 'be civil'. He cracked the door open and slipped out, shutting it behind him before he forced himself to walk down the stairs. He clutched at a little notebook he'd been working on, something his mom had told him to do to keep his mind off the visit. Writing down recipes they could try or things he wanted to cook that were new and different. It had helped until he heard the car arrive. He came to a stop behind Lindsey and looked up at Chichi, his eyes darting to Maxwell. "Hi, Chichi," he said in an unexcited voice.

Something about the way he used her name instead of calling her "mom" grated on Chichi's nerves. He'd been doing that ever since he'd been moved in with Gohan. A muscle worked in her jaw, thinking it was terribly disrespectful of him. Some manners they were teaching her son. "Hi, Goten," she answered as she looked down at him, noticing the book in his hand. She was about to ask him about it when Maxwell interrupted her.

"Even your kids don't respect you enough to address you properly," he muttered under his breath as he typed away at his screen and wandered over to sit in the big armchair by the window. He didn't even bother to look up when Goten had come into the room. "Yeah," he said as he lifted the phone to his ear.

Chichi drew a long breath through her nose, trying not to let her husband's words sting. "What's that?" she asked, nodding at the book he held in his hand. "Are you working on homework?"

Goten held the book protectively to his chest. "Yeah, thinking up new recipes to cook with Mom later when I get home tonight. She said we could try a whole bunch of new stuff and told me to write down what sounded good," he said honestly. He was really excited about it. The stuff that his dads and mom had been teaching him caught his attention in a way that made him just want to sit there and learn for hours with them. "School doesn't start for another month."

"Cooking?" Chichi nearly screeched, but calmed her voice a little as Rose and Gohan walked into the room from the kitchen. She drew another breath through her nose before she spoke again. "Goten, you don't need to learn how to cook. You're a boy! You should be studying like your brother did so you can have a good career when you grow up. That way you can marry a nice girl who will cook for you!"

"Oh good gods," Lindsey grumbled and moved to sit on the couch again. It made her brain hurt to listen to Chichi's painfully old-fashioned way of thinking when it came to gender roles.

"And don't refer to that woman as your mother," Chichi scolded. "She's your stepmother. It's inappropriate to call her anything else."

Goten nearly growled as he grasped his book tighter. "She's my momma and I have two dads," he said defiantly, "I hate studying, I don't want to be a doctor." He didn't know why, but it felt good to say those things. Remembering what his parents had told him before he came out here for this, that he could do whatever he wanted so long as his heart was in it.

Rose rubbed at her cheek as she watched the exchange, muttering under her breath, "Oh Dende, I need more strength for this."

Gohan cast the woman a look before he went over to Lindsey, smiling down at her as he knelt next to her to rub at her belly. "Not getting stressed out, are you?" he asked. He definitely didn't want his wife to pop before it was her time to, but he knew how much of a pain his mother could be to handle, especially on days like today. It seemed like his little brother had brought some self-confidence along as well. This was going to be interesting.

"I'm fine," she assured him quietly as she shot his mother a hateful look. "I'll be better once she's gone." She couldn't stop the approving smirk that pulled at her lips as Goten retorted defiantly at Chichi. 'Good boy, Goten,' she thought to herself. She grabbed Gohan's hand and tugged at him to sit next to her on the couch, then leaned her head on his shoulder. "Don't get mad at me if I pretend to fall asleep while she's here," she whispered to him.

Chichi huffed and crossed her arms at Goten's words. They'd been filling his head with nonsense again. She wanted to correct him, but she could feel Rose's eyes on her and she settled for just shaking her head with a tight-lipped expression. She still didn't know why Rose had to be there if Gohan was present. She hated the feeling of being watched like this.

She dug in her purse and pulled out a capsule to hand to Goten. "I brought you something," she said, sounding a bit more cheery. "I picked up a bunch of textbooks to help you with your studies! I was going to get you one of those fancy new tablets, but you know, the screen's made of glass. I know how you have a hard time controlling your strength. But you can't break books!" She stood up straighter with a proud look on her face.

Goten made a face at the capsule and he huffed. "I can control my strength, my dads have been teaching me how to do it. I don't even bend the cups anymore," he said as he clicked the capsule and tossed it to the open space on the floor, regretting it a moment later as a huge pile of books appeared. He picked one up and looked at the hard cover. A first edition physician's desk reference. He was half tempted to pull it apart to show his mother just how much one person could "break" a book. "You shouldn't have," he said.

"Oh look, Gohan, fire-starter," Lindsey snickered to her husband and pressed her face to his shoulder to hide her laugh as Chichi shot her a hateful glare.

"Now we spent a lot of money on those for you, young man," Chichi told Goten. "You better take good care of them and use them well! You might think you don't want to be a doctor like your brother now, but when you get older you'll see what a smart move it is. Not everyone can be a jobless martial artist."

Goten stuck his tongue out at them. "I'm going to live in the woods when I grow up! I won't need money!" he said as he let the heavy book fall back to the pile.

Maxwell put down his phone for a minute and fixed Goten with a stare. "You should be a little more appreciative when someone does something nice for you," he stated firmly. He snorted and put the phone back to his ear.

Goten crossed his arms. "It wasn't for me; you and her did it so you could feel good," he mumbled. "You don't care about me, you don't care about what I want," he said to Chichi again, "Why do you even bother coming to see me? You don't care."

"Of course I care, Goten! How could you say something like that?" Chichi cried. "Is it so bad that I just want you to have a bright future? I don't want you to end up living in the woods like some hermit. That's not healthy for you! Wouldn't you rather have a nice house in the city like a normal person? All I've ever tried to do was to set you on the right path in life. Why does that seem so wrong to you?"

Rose could see that the situation wasn't going to get any better. "Maybe everyone just needs to calm down for a minute," she said as professionally as possible. She could see the anger and defiance in Goten's face and in all honesty, she couldn't blame him. "I think perhaps it's better if we just try again next month. Today doesn't seem to be a good day for everyone."

Chichi huffed and pulled the strap of her purse up tighter on her shoulder, wanting to argue, but she seemed to decide against it. "Fine," she finally said and turned towards the door. "Be good, Goten. Work on your studies."

"Yup, I'll see you tonight then," Maxwell said and hung up the phone as he got to his feet. "Ready to go?" he asked his wife.

Chichi's face fell. "You have to work again tonight?" she asked softly, a sad tone in her voice.

"Hey, what am I supposed to do?" he asked, holding his hands out. "When the office calls, I have to answer. Someone has to pay the bills and I don't see you doing it." He didn't seem upset about having to work on a Saturday night in the least. He placed a hand on her back to guide her to the door, unaware of the very slight flinch she gave at his touch. "See you, Gohan," he called half-heartedly over his shoulder as they left the house.

Gohan frowned as he watched them leave; he didn't know what it was, but there was something just not right about that man. He left a cold chill whenever he walked by. He looked over at Rose and ran a hand through his hair. "Thank you. I don't know how much longer I could have stood for that." He looked at his little brother who was nudging the books with his toes. "Ugh, first editions?" An idea hit him and he smirked, "Actually, you know what, Goten? I think she gave you something you can use. Just not in the sense she intended. You up for some target practice with that bow of yours? We have some extra time before Dad comes back to pick you up, don't we?"

Goten's eyes grew bright and a smile appeared on his face, "Yeah! That sounds great!"

Rose laughed as Goten ran up the stairs to get his bow. "I'm heading home," she said. "I think I'm going to steal some of Jenny's pain meds when I get back. Your mother is one of the most difficult people I've ever encountered. And that's saying a lot." She slung her purse over her shoulder and waved as she headed for the door. "Take care and come by to see everyone soon. I think it might make Jenny feel better to see you all. Her first round of chemo was hard."

Gohan frowned and looked over at Rose. "That's right, that was just this past week wasn't it? Was it very painful for her?" he asked, remembering his studies about chemo. It wasn't pleasant, putting toxic chemicals in the body to kill off any remaining cancer cells. Bad thing about that was, the rest of the body was affected as well. It could result in any number of problems and side effects that were not pleasant.

Rose looked down sadly at the carpet. "It wasn't fun, I can tell you that much." She was worried about her sister-in-law. "She hasn't been able to eat much. She says the food doesn't taste right and whatever she eats just seems to come back up."

Lindsey pressed her lips together so hard, they trembled. "Dammit," she whispered and wiped at her eyes. It scared her to think about Jenny dealing with all of that. It wasn't fair. She wanted so badly to take it away from Jenny, for her friend to be healthy and normal again. It broke her heart that she couldn't do anything to help her. "We'll come see her soon," she promised, trying to keep her voice from cracking.

Gohan rubbed at his wife's shoulder and nodded at Rose. "Yeah, tell her we will be around soon. We will bring some food too, you guys have enough to worry about up there any way," he said, giving her a small smile, "Take care Rose, and thanks again."

"No problem, Gohan," Rose answered as Goten came thundering back down the stairs. She grinned at the little boy as he ran forward and wrapped his arms around her waist in a tight hug. She smiled down at him and lightly ruffled his untidy hair. "That was brave of you to stand up to her," she said quietly. She leaned over and planted a kiss on his forehead. "I'm proud of you, Goten. You be good for your brother and tell your dad I said hello." She paused just before she closed the door, "And be careful with that bow!"

Gohan and Lindsey took Goten to the backyard along with the books for the next couple of hours to wait for Goku to come back. Gohan flung the books one at a time into the air while Goten took aim with Sabriena's old compound bow he kept at their house, with Lindsey jokingly yelling, "PULL!" every time Gohan threw one of the books. Before long, the books were riddled with holes from the arrows and Goten was feeling much better.

Gohan threw another book just as Goku appeared and Goten loosed another arrow, embedding it deep into the hardcover.

Lindsey grinned up at Goku from her spot on the porch steps. "Don't you like how we prepare for school?" she laughed, holding up a perfectly ruined textbook on human anatomy. She flipped up the cover and peeked at him through the holes in it, snickering. Normally, she would've thrown a fit about books being abused like that, but in this case, she didn't feel bad about it in the least. "I seeeeeee youuuuuu," she giggled.

Goku blinked down at his daughter-in-law and reached out and picked the book up from her, looking at the holes inside of the book. He was amazed at it. "I'm not sure I understand. You bought books for Goten and then let him shoot arrows at them?" He looked over at his sons who were completely focused on their task. He chuckled and looked at the book, "This is way too advanced for Goten. I thought he was starting fourth grade or something?"

Lindsey gave him an unamused stare for a moment. "Really, Dad? You think I bought him these?" she asked. She shook her head. "No, that would be that lovely ex-wife of yours that bought them. Showing off all that new money she has. She's so stupid. You'd be proud of Goten, though, he stood up to her. Told her he doesn't want to be a doctor," she said with a proud smile.

Goku's eyes widened and he smiled widely at Lindsey. "Really? That's awesome!" He smiled and looked over at Goten, feeling a warmth in his chest at the knowledge. "I kind of figured that. I think most of that attitude comes from his mom and dad. You know, Sabriena and Tien. From what I figure, Goten is going to want to do one of three things. Or heck, maybe all three. Who knows? He'll be a martial artist like me." He looked proud for a moment before he looked back over at Goten, "Tien's been teaching him about hunting, he could do that. Or Sabriena might teach him to be a really awesome cook."

Lindsey mocked surprise. "Attitude from Sabriena? I'd never have believed it!" She winked and laughed. "She can keep teaching him all those recipes, though. I can't believe what an awesome cook he is. He's really helping me out around here. I can just sit and keep an eye on him and he makes supper some nights. It's good for him to learn practical stuff like that. Not this," she paused and picked up another textbook, "shit or whatever it is Chichi thinks he needs to learn. Honestly, it amazes me that she thinks she has any say-so in it whatsoever."

Goku chuckled and sat down next to his daughter, putting his head in her lap as he looked at the book she held. "These look really expensive, where on earth did Chichi get the money to buy them? Does she have a job or something?" he asked as he opened one up and barely read the first page before his head started to hurt from all of the medical jargon.

Lindsey sighed. "No, it's from that husband of hers. He's some big-city hot shot for an advertising company or something like that," she muttered as she played with his hair. "You know how she is about money. Hell, she was always bitching at you about it. I think she likes showing off how rich they are. I can't stand people like that. That's one thing I always liked about Bulma. She never flaunts her money, you know?"

Goku sat up, but not far enough that her hands left his hair, his eyes were wide, "So who is this guy she married? When did she marry? I didn't even know she was seeing anyone." He thought about that for a moment, "I mean, I really don't care. You know, with us rebuilding the cabin, Jenny's surgery, Marron. There's more important things to me now." He laid his head back on Lindsey's lap, purring lightly. All he needed now was the scent of clove cigarettes and he would be set. He wondered if he could pop over to Gramma's later. Maybe with Jenny when he visited with Goten. He would bring some back for Lindsey. He loved the scent too much not to.

"Maxwell. They've been together for quite awhile," Lindsey answered. "I think she started dating him before we even found out about what was happening with Goten. They've been married almost a year now, I think. Bah. Whatever. He's an asshole. I think they deserve each other. Let them make each other miserable for the rest of their lives. I swear though, if he tries to correct Goten one more time, I'mma kick him in the dick."

Goku looked up at Lindsey, a dangerous look in his eyes. "What do you mean he's tried to correct Goten?" he asked carefully. If this stranger had tried to touch his son, he was going to do whatever it took to make sure that Chichi could never see him again.

"He got onto him about not appreciating the books they bought. It's not exactly like he's trying to be a parent, but it's like, I dunno. Like he thinks he has some sort of authority in our house. It bugs me. It's not even like he yells or anything, he doesn't, but he just has this condescending tone all the time. Well, when he even acknowledges us, that is. I'd rather he just keep his nose in that phone, to be honest," she said. "It's hard to explain. You'd just have to meet him to understand it, I guess. There's just a vibe around this guy that I don't like."

Goku nodded. "I know the feeling," he said. He knew that feeling all too well. It was the feeling that told him Vegeta was a good person deep down. That Piccolo was just a victim of his father's hatred. That Lindsey could change her addiction because that wasn't who she really was deep inside. That he could love Tien and Sabriena. "I know the feeling. Mostly I feel those who have the potential to change and be great. I don't know if I want to meet her husband." It felt weird saying that. "But I want to if he is condescending to my children. What if he isn't being good to her?" He frowned at himself. If Maxwell was being like that to Chichi, she probably deserved it, but that didn't mean Goku would stand by it if that was the truth.

Lindsey blinked down at her father-in-law. "You are lucky I love you, or I'd smack you right now," she said. "Who cares if he's not being good to her? She treated you and Goten like shit. And everyone knows she and I have never gotten along. The only one she was ever even half-assed decent to was Gohan, and even then she wasn't that great. If he's hateful or mean to her, who gives a flying fuck? She's not your concern anymore, Dad. She made these choices. Let her live with them," she said firmly. "You don't want to meet this guy. He's a dick. Just let me and Gohan handle it. Gohan won't let him get too out of line. And you know I won't keep my mouth shut if things get too ugly."

Goku looked up at her. "I'm better than Chichi," he said. "To be better than her, I have to care about her even when she didn't care about me. I loved her with the entirety of what I was. To ignore her now would make me just as bad as she was." He said it as if it were an obvious answer. "She's the one who gave me my children. Divorced or not, I still want her to find her place. If that makes sense. I hate her for what she did to my boys, but I wouldn't hesitate to protect her if the need called for it."

Lindsey gave a long, patient sigh through her nose before she grabbed his face in her hands and pulled him up so she could kiss his forehead. "You're a better person than I am, Dad," she said softly and looked over as Goten came running, beaming at his dad.

"Daddy! Did you see me shoot that book?!" he cried excitedly. He was rather pink in the face and grinned from ear to ear. "Gohan's been helping me practice so I can go hunting with Tien again! I'm getting really good!"

Goku sat up from Lindsey's lap, smiling at his son, "You are amazing, kiddo! You are going to really impress Tien the next time you go out!" He pulled Goten into his lap and looked at Lindsey. "Sabriena made the most amazing fur quilt for Tien; Goten felt it and decided he wanted one for himself. So he is working with Tien to get the furs he needs for Sabriena to make him one."

"Oh yeah?" she asked with a smile. "That'll be awesome. Sort of like that baby blanket Tien made for Phoenix? He loves that blanket. He won't go to sleep without it." She snickered as she remembered Chichi's reaction to it, how she screamed and threw a fit, but Lindsey proudly put it in the crib anyway. She grinned at Goten, "You'll have to show it to me when Subbie finishes it."

Goten smiled widely and nodded. "Yeah! I can't wait! I wanted to steal the one on their bed, but Tien said it was too big," he pouted before he giggled and leaned against his father's chest. "Can we go see Marron and Paige now? I think Gohan's tired of throwing books in the air," he said as his brother walked over.

Goku laughed as he watched his oldest son come over and flop down onto the porch, dramatically laying his head in Lindsey's lap. "Of course Goten, we will go there as soon as we leave here. Then we can go back to the cabin. You know Sabriena was looking forward to cooking that wild boar with you tonight."

"Oh, don't talk about food, you're gonna make me hungry again," Lindsey whined as she felt the babies move. "Great. Now I'm going to spend the rest of the evening shoveling food in my mouth."

Goten laughed and smiled excitedly. "I came up with all sorts of new ideas, just like Mommy told me to! Let me go get my notebook and we can go!" He hugged his dad's neck tightly before he grabbed up his bow and scurried into the house, shouting over his shoulder, "I can't wait to see Paige!"

Gohan looked after his brother as he disappeared and he chuckled, "Dad, I hate to say it, but that boy is going to become a cook. The best the world had ever seen." He smiled before he looked back at Lindsey and kissed her on the cheek before he looked at Goku, "I don't know if he knows it yet, but that's what I think. The world will taste what he cooks up and they will only want more."

Goku grinned. "Maybe a fighter who can cook," he said and smiled, "It's just up to him, you know? I don't want to force him to do something he doesn't want to."

Lindsey laughed at that. "A fighter who can cook. He could have his own cooking show and, like, judo-chop the veggies!" she exclaimed and gave a swift chop through the air with her hand. She snorted in laughter at the looks they gave her. "No? Aw, c'mon, that was funny." She was still snickering in amusement at herself as Goten returned to the porch with his book.

"I'm ready to go when you are, Daddy!" he grinned. He ran over and hugged Lindsey and Gohan. "Thanks for letting me shoot those stupid books, Gohan. You're the best brother ever!"

Goku picked up his son and waved at Lindsey and Gohan. "We'll be around! I love you both!" he said before he pressed two fingers to his head and vanished.


	11. Every Little Bit Helps

Goku easily reappeared on top of the Lookout with Goten in his arms. He smiled as he spotted Dende and Alice walking along the edge and he set his son down, "Why don't you go find Paige while I talk to Piccolo and see how Jenny's doing?"

He chuckled as his son gave an excited cry and darted off. He turned and walked to the guardian and smiled down at Alice, "Hey guys! Thought we'd come and visit. How's Jenny doing? Didn't she have that first dose of chemo this week?"

Dende gave Goku a small smile and placed his hand on Alice's head. "That's enough for today's lesson. Why don't you run and play with Goten and your sister?" He watched as she walked away calmly before Dende turned and started walking across the Lookout, leading Goku towards his brother, "She did, but I am afraid her body is taking it a little harder than we anticipated."

Goku looked towards the bathroom when they passed it; he could hear retching coming from inside. His eyes widened when he realized that Jenny must have been inside throwing up. He rubbed the back of his head feeling terrible for her. "Gosh, that bad huh?"

The guardian nodded, "She has been unable to eat anything substantial since her treatment. Thankfully, we've been able to keep her hydrated, but I fear what the future courses of treatment will do to her." He finally came to a stop near his meditating brother. "If you can think of a way to help her, we are open to suggestions."

Meditating was useless. No matter how hard he tried, Piccolo just couldn't drown out the sound of his wife getting sick in the bathroom. He could hear her gasping and the frustrated sobs from her throat as yet another meal was wasted. He got to his feet and turned towards the Saiyan. "Hey, Goku," he said, hoping his voice didn't sound as depressed as he felt. A small smile touched his lips as he heard Paige shriek in excitement when Goten found her in her room. "It's good you brought Goten by. I haven't heard Paige sound happy like that in a week."

In fact, Paige had not been handling her mother's sickness very well at all. She didn't seem to understand why her mother felt so tired and kept getting sick. She kept throwing fits for her mother to play with her and refused to play with anyone else, even when Rose or Dende offered. When she wasn't throwing fits, she just seemed to sit quietly in her room by herself. That wasn't like Paige; she was usually so energetic and full of adventure. Now on top of worrying about his wife, Piccolo was starting to worry about his eldest daughter.

At Goku's questioning look, Piccolo explained, "She doesn't understand what's happening to her mother." He'd been reminded several times by Dende that Paige was only four and that Piccolo shouldn't expect so much from her. He cringed as he heard Jenny heave once again and he ran a hand down his face in an attempt to hide his frustration. "I wish that damn anti-nausea medication would work for her. I'm losing all faith in this planet. Surely there has to be a better way to treat this fucking disease." He winced at his own words; he normally didn't swear like that. "Sorry," he murmured, "I'm frustrated."

Goku rubbed the back of his head, looking towards the bathroom as he heard Jenny. "Poor thing. I can't imagine not being able to eat!" His stomach growled in agreement and he rubbed his belly. He thought for a moment, trying to figure out anything that could help Piccolo's wife. "Medicine isn't working? You know, Gramma might have something to help her out. You know how she is; she doesn't trust the hospitals either. Maybe she has some kind of potion or spell that could help Jenny eat and not get nauseated. I don't really have to be anywhere and I know Goten's been wanting to play with Paige for a while. I could run Jenny over to her and see what she has to say."

Piccolo's spirits lifted a bit at that. If there was anyone who could make Jenny feel better, it had to be Gramma Arthusia. The old woman was strange to him, but she had never failed them yet. "That's actually a really good idea," Piccolo said in his even, low voice. "Wait here." He strode past his brother and Goku, heading straight for the bathroom. He knocked softly before he peered inside and saw Jenny hunched over the toilet, her head on her forearms as she breathed heavily. He went to her and placed a comforting hand on her back. "Hey," he said softly. "Goku is here. I don't know if you feel up to the trip, but he said he could take you to Arthusia's house if you want. She might know a way to make you feel better."

Jenny whimpered when her husband came in and put a hand on her back. She felt horrible. The smell of vomit was sharp in her nose, her mouth. She felt as if she had a bad case of the stomach flu. She felt bad that she couldn't even play with her daughters. She reached up and flushed the toilet, leaning back against her husband's cool skin, looking up at him with tears in her eyes, "Anything. I'll do anything to stop this. I don't feel like myself at all."

"I know you don't," he said in a soft voice as he wiped the tears from her face. Her face felt hot in his hand and he grabbed up a washrag and wet it before he wiped the cool cloth over her cheeks. "I wish I could make it stop. I don't know if Arthusia could do anything or not, but it's worth a try. If nothing else, maybe just being around her might make you feel better."

Jenny leaned into his hands as he cleaned her up and she nodded, running a hand through her short hair and freezing when she felt something odd. She pulled her hand away and looked down at her palm, frowning at the several dark strands that remained there. "Shit," she said, brushing the clump into the waste bin. "I'll go. Did you want to come with us?" she asked as he helped her up off the floor.

"No, I'll stay here and keep an eye on the kids. Goten's here and Paige seems happy. You go with Goku and enjoy the quiet for a little bit," he said as he got to his feet and helped her to stand. He ignored the bit of her hair that she brushed into the trash. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and let her lean against him as they walked outside to where Goku and Dende still stood on the edge of the Lookout.

Goku turned as they approached and offered Jenny a smile. "You are looking better than you did in the hospital. I'm sorry you aren't feeling it though," he said as he walked over to her, bending over to pick her up in his arms, "You need to eat something, you are as light as a twig."

Jenny couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped her. "Been trying, but that food is fighting back," she said, leaning against him, losing her strength to keep her head up. She looked over at Piccolo and Dende. "Hold down the fort for us," she said before she closed her eyes.

* * *

><p>Gramma was humming a little tune to herself as she stirred a big pot of soup on the stove when Goku appeared in her kitchen. Not the normal spicy Italian soup she usually made for Goku's visits, that was far too much for Jenny's stomach. Everyone knew that chicken soup was much better for you when you didn't feel well. She couldn't sense energies like the others could, but she still knew the instant Goku arrived with Jenny in his arms. "Took you long enough to bring her to me," she said lightly without turning around.<p>

Goku wasn't surprised that Gramma seemed to be expecting them, even though here on the other side of the world it was the middle of the night. She always seemed to know when he would be around and usually had a full table laden with food by the time he arrived. "Sorry about that, we've been pretty busy," he admitted, feeling guilty as he pulled out a chair and helped Jenny sit down in it. "We didn't know she would be feeling this bad from the chemo."

Jenny let her head thunk on the table, smiling softly at the heady scent of food. Her stomach growled, but underneath it was the seemingly ever present nausea waiting for her to take a bite so she could throw up again, "Let's just go back into the dream and eat cake like we did during my surgery. Mind over matter right?"

Gramma banged her spoon on the pot and set it down before she went over and ran her fingers through Jenny's hair. "Exactly, dear," she said quietly. She frowned as she could feel the emotions from Jenny. "Don't be so hard on yourself, darlin'. You have to focus on getting better. All these thoughts you're having about yourself aren't true. You didn't do anything wrong and you didn't let anyone down." It made her heart ache for Jenny to be feeling these emotions of guilt and anger and fear, but she also understood that it was part of the process. "Goku, be a dear and fix a bowl for her, won't you?"

Goku nodded and went over to the stove, inhaling deeply the wonderful scent of the chicken soup and his own stomach grumbled in protest. He ignored it and picked up one of the bowls Gramma had set out and filled it to the brim with the hearty soup. He carefully balanced it on the way back to the table and set it in front of Jenny's nose. He knew that she would be able to eat this; there was something about Gramma's food that just defied all laws and logic. He handed Jenny a spoon and watched as she lifted it up and put it into the bowl. "Want me to spoon feed you?" he asked sincerely.

Jenny shook her head, lifting the steaming spoonful to her face and visibly relaxed as she sipped the broth down. She braced herself, expecting the nausea to hit her at any moment, but it never came. She ate as quickly as she dared, knowing it was probably only a matter of time before the stomach pains hit and she would be praying to the porcelain god once again.

"Slow down, baby, slow down," Gramma said, brushing her hand through Jenny's hair over and over. "I know you're hungry, but you have to take it slow. You could still get sick. The soup isn't going anywhere." She blinked over at Goku, who was just sadly watching Jenny eat. "There's plenty for you, too, you know. You don't have to be so polite. Go ahead and help yourself," she smiled as she pulled out the chair next to Jenny and sat down. A slight frown touched her lips and she rubbed at Jenny's back, trying to will some healing and peace into her body. It was so torn up with the chemotherapy already. This was not going to be an easy road for her at all. And not just on a physical level, but an emotional one as well.

Jenny did her best to try and slow down, but it was so hard. She hadn't been able to eat much of anything since her chemo session. She closed her eyes and forcefully willed herself to slow down and take in the healing energies around her. She swallowed another spoonful and opened her eyes. "Great, I just need to come here for breakfast lunch and dinner," she said longingly, but knew that was not a possibility. For one, Goku couldn't do that three times a day, seven days a week for who knows how long. Another thing was Gramma couldn't do that three times a day. Simply this one meal probably exhausted her to make. The spell she had cast throughout it had to have taken a great deal of time and care.

Goku sat down with his own full bowl and reached for the bread basket in the middle of the table, tearing off a piece of the crusty bread before he dipped it into the soup. "Gramma, is there anything we can do for her when she's not here? From what I've seen and what Piccolo told me, her nausea is really bad. Dende says, well, he says it's only going to get worse."

"Dende's right, I'm afraid to say," Gramma nodded. She went quiet for a moment, knowing what Jenny's and Goku's reaction to her suggestion was going to be. They'd both seen the destructive path that could result from it, but Gramma had to suggest it anyway. "There is one other option that has worked for everyone I know. You could always try marijuana."

Jenny dropped her spoon in her bowl and looked up with an energy that hadn't been there before. "Absolutely not," she said firmly. She remembered what it had done to Lindsey, but more than that, "My dear _sister_ is still a pot head, I've seen what it's done to her. I do not want to end up like her. I won't. I don't want to give her boyfriend any more ammo against me." She spoke with such venom about her sister that Goku cringed.

Goku remembered that word, the months he had spent training Lindsey, getting her clean from that and the other drug she's been addicted to hadn't been easy. "How does marijuana help Jenny in this case? I've seen what it does, too. It changes people into something they aren't. I don't see how that would help."

"It could control her nausea," Gramma answered. "And while she may have an appetite now, she won't soon. It'll get to the point where food doesn't even taste good to her and the nausea will make it where she won't want to eat at all. Marijuana will give her an appetite." She sighed at Jenny. "You are not your sister. She abuses it and you know that. And if that prick she's dating tries to give you any problems at all, you call me. I know what's going on with them and I've had about enough of it. They need to leave you out of their problems."

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Isn't that the understatement of the century," she deadpanned. She looked down at her bowl, Gramma's words rang true in her ears even though she did not wish them to be. "A last resort. I will save the pot for the absolute last resort. Hopefully I never get to that point," she said and picked up her spoon again, "I hate to overstep your generosity, but is there something else you can do? A spell, a blessing?" She shook her head, not sure how to ask what she wanted. Or if what she wanted could be asked for.

Gramma fixed Jenny with an understanding, sympathetic stare. "I can try, honey. But you have to understand, there are some things that even magick can't fix. It might help, it might not. I'll do what I can," she answered and took the empty bowl from Jenny to refill it. She set it back on the table and kissed the top of Jenny's head. "Let me get my book."

Goku watched as Jenny ate more of the soup and smiled. Piccolo would be happy to know she at least ate something. "When is your next round of chemotherapy?"

Jenny swallowed her spoonful and looked over at Goku. "I have to go every two weeks."

Goku winced, "Twice a month?" He rubbed at his face. "What if I came and got you twice a month, if I can't bring you here, I can bring you to our house. You know Sabriena cooks like a dream. She took lessons from Gramma too, didn't she? I won't believe it if you tell me no. They are both too good."

Jenny chuckled into her bowl, "Sure... if it will help. I don't want to waste anyone's cooking. I could just eat it and then throw it up again in a matter of minutes." She hated being sick. Dende and Rose went out of their way to make meals on some nights, and not all of them were vegetarian. She threw it up and it made her feel horrible.

Gramma returned with the large, leather-bound book in her hands and set it on the table as she started to flip through it. Just as she always did, she withdrew one of the clove cigarettes and lit it as she read over the pages. It frustrated her. She could maybe ease some of Jenny's discomfort, but cancer was a tricky disease. She silently prayed that Jenny wouldn't be disappointed in her if it didn't help. She came to the back of the book where the secondary cover was and ran her fingers over the ornate lock. No one had been able to open that part of the book for as long as it had been in her family. It was rumored that powerful spells were locked within and Gramma suddenly longed to know what was there. Perhaps there was a spell strong enough to heal Jenny.

She suddenly shoved the book towards Goku. "Open that," she said. "I don't care what you have to do. I've tried everything to get into that damn lock and it won't work. Break it if you have to."

Goku blinked down at the book sudden shoved towards him and he hesitantly let his hands touch the ornate lock Gramma pointed out. "But, this is your book. I don't want to damage it." He looked up at her but saw the determination in her eyes. He nodded and took the lock in his hands and used his power to deliberately snap the lock in half.

Only it didn't.

He had done the same thing to thousands of dinner plates, tin cups and who knew what else and they all easily snapped beneath his grasp. This lock though, it was made of something different, something ancient. It reached towards him, trying to wrap around his soul and he pushed the book away, removing his hands with a start and looked at Gramma. "I'm sorry. I can't do it."

Gramma heaved a sigh through her nose in disappointment. "Shit," she hissed and pulled the book back closer to her. "Well, we'll just have to try one of these other spells then. Thank you for trying."

Goku looked distressed, if there was some spell in the back that might help Jenny, then he had failed. "I can try again!" he pleaded, turning Super Saiyan with little effort and reached for the book again, but the result was the same and it didn't budge. He growled in frustration as he worked his fingers under the secondary cover and pulled, trying to rip it free of the lock. It wouldn't budge! He gave a cry when his grip slipped on the book and he cut his finger. He cried out and dropped out of the advanced form, holding his thumb before he sucked on it, "Owww, that hurt."

"Oh dear," Gramma said and hurried around the table to him. She pulled on his wrist until his thumb slipped from his mouth and she frowned at the deep cut on his finger. She held his hand in hers and tried to will it to heal. Usually she could heal minor abrasions and things like that, but not this one. Something about the magick in the lock that now permeated his cut resisted her magick. "Oh good Goddess, this is ridiculous," she huffed and went to a cupboard, banging around the kitchen for a minute. "Powerful ancient magick," she mimicked in a high-pitched voice as if she were quoting someone who had irritated her. "Passed down through the generations for centuries. Mother to daughter. Blah, blah." She dropped the falsetto voice, "Lotta damn good it does if no one can access it."

She pulled out a little jar before she returned to him. "Sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to do that," she apologized as she soothed the healing balm over his thumb and smiled as she felt him relax in relief, the sharp sting of the cut gone. She wrapped it in a bandage and patted the back of his hand before she sat down. "See if Trouble can't heal that up properly for you when you get home. Jenny has no business trying to heal anyone right now and, well, as I've always said, the girls' magick is different from my own. Theirs is powerful in other ways, it manifests itself differently than mine."

She tried not to sigh again as she pulled the book closer to her. She flipped through some pages of the open part of the book and finally settled on a couple spells. "We'll send this cancer a good karmic kick in the ass. It might not heal you completely, honey, but it'll help. It'll quicken the process." She stood and took the book with her, "Jenny, when you're done with your soup, come to the upstairs bathroom. We'll start there."

Without another word, Arthusia left the room and headed straight for her temple to grab a few items before she went upstairs to the deep claw foot bathtub. She snapped her fingers and the pillar candles around the room ignited as she filled the tub with hot water and added the sandalwood oil to the water. A few heaping handfuls of sea-salt were cast into the bath and she closed her eyes, holding her hands over the water as she willed healing energy into it and waited for Jenny.

Jenny finally finished with her soup, feeling the weight settling inside of her, making her feel full. She leaned back and looked over at Goku who was looking at his thumb. "I hate to ask, but do you think you can help me up the stairs? I feel weak," she admitted and looked down at her empty bowl. She prayed to the Goddess that she would be able to keep this meal down.

Goku looked over at her and nodded, standing up and carefully picking her up in his arms. "I wish we could get you feeling better. It was good to see you eat something."

Jenny chuckled as he carried her up the stairs, "That was the easy part, the tricky part is keeping it down. Don't stick around, you'll probably see me throw it up." She breathed in deeply the fragrant scent that enveloped them in the bathroom and she relaxed further in Goku's arms. She wanted to curl up in that heat and go to sleep.

Gramma turned to them as they entered the bathroom. "This is a simple spell that works for most any sickness," she explained. "All I want you to do is to rest in the bath for awhile and envision all the illness being pulled out of your body by the salt water. When you're done, drain the water and stand up, then rinse off with fresh water. You can dress in this afterwards," she said and set a soft crimson-colored gown on the vanity. "You take as long as you need. Goku and I will be in the temple when you're done. Meet us there, okay?" She planted a kiss on Jenny's forehead, then linked her arm with Goku's. "Come help me get the next spell ready."

Goku made sure that Jenny wasn't going to fall over before he and Gramma left the room, shutting the door behind him. "She's going to fall asleep in there, you know." He let Gramma lead him to the temple; he remembered it from when Vegeta had gone inside to try to communicate with Bulma when she had been banished to the shadow world. And during the battles with Apollymi. He stopped short of entering, speaking with sobered words, "Am I really allowed?"

"Of course you are," Gramma said and let go of his arm to hold his hand instead, giving it a squeeze. "I don't know how well this spell will work, but we're going to give it the best shot we can. I want your help." She tugged on his hand and stepped into the room. The magick in that room was tangible. She drew a deep breath, just drinking it in for a moment before she went to her book on the altar. "Over there on the shelf, would you grab one of the green candles for me? And the little bottle of tea tree oil."

Goku looked around as he stepped into the room, the magick seemed to curl around him. He was sure if he tried, he could lift a hand and touch it. He nodded and kept his lips pressed together as he walked over to the shelf. It felt odd to be in the room, his curiosity about it had simmered down and now that he was in the room, he didn't want to offend the forces within it. He blinked at the shelves as he looked for the items that Gramma said she needed, picking them up carefully before bringing them over to her, "These?"

"Mmhmm," Gramma nodded as she grabbed up a few other items she needed. "Have you ever done magick before?" she asked. She smiled as he shook his head. "Well, consider this your first lesson. Sit here," she said and guided him to sit on the floor in front of the altar. "Don't look so nervous, dear. It's not as complicated as you think. Now, just hold the candle in your hands and think about Jenny getting better. Imagine healing energy flowing into it and then rub some of that oil onto it for me."

Goku's eyes widened at her instructions, picking up the candle again and looking down at it. He could face down a thousand enemies and not blink an eye, but this… He didn't want to do anything wrong and accidentally hurt Jenny more instead of making her better. "Are you sure? What if I make a mistake? What if it makes her worse?" He didn't want her to get worse. He wanted her to feel better. He closed his eyes and focused on the candle in his hands. He thought of it as like an extension of himself and he imagined he was drawing in energy for a spirit bomb, gently willing it into the green taper candle.

Goku only cracked an eye when he looked around for the oil, finding it open and at his side. He carefully picked it up and tipped the bottle over the candle. A small drizzle fell and coated it before he set it back down and closed his eyes once again as she began to rub the oil over it.

Gramma smiled. "You can't mess it up. It's not possible. Your only intention is to do good. The Goddess knows that. There's no way we can make it any worse," she assured him as she went to one of the bookshelves and withdrew a photo album. She pulled out one of her favorite pictures of Jenny before she sat on the floor next to Goku. "You can set that on the altar when you're done. Then all we have to do is wait until she's done with her bath." She sighed as she looked down at the items in her hands. "I only wish there was more I could do for her."

Goku finally opened his eyes, feeling the candle in his hands. He wasn't sure how, but he knew that no more energy could fit inside of it and he carefully moved to set it on the altar. He sat next to Gramma and nodded, "I know. She's done so much and to have this happen to her is almost like an insult." He sighed and looked down at the picture in Gramma's hands; it brought a smile to his face. "Wow, look at her. A real cutie at that age, I bet she gave all the boys a run for their money," he gently teased as he looked at the young, smiling girl in the photo.

"She always has," Gramma answered proudly. "All my girls do. I wouldn't have brought them up any differently." She gave a soft laugh and leaned her shoulder against him. "You might not believe it, but I gave the boys a run for their money, too in my day." She chuckled again and gave him a wink.

Goku laughed and wrapped an arm around Arthusia's shoulders as he rested his head on top of hers. "Oh I don't doubt it, you're still giving Vegeta a run around aren't you?" He smiled at the flustered expression on the prince's face every time he had to meet with Gramma. He had gotten to walking around with his hand's on his ass around her to discourage pinching. Goku sighed and knew that they had a large task in front of them.

Gramma snickered at the mention of the Saiyan prince. "He's just playing hard to get," she chuckled. "He likes the attention. He's just too proud to admit it."

"Jenny's going to beat this. She's too strong and too stubborn not to. It's just going to be a long road for her to get there. Even with our spell, I fear it's going to get worse before it gets better. We just have to figure out the best way to help her and Piccolo as much as possible without smothering them or making them feel incapable. There is such a thing as too much help. They're both too independent for their own good." She sighed as she relaxed against him. "I'm so glad my girls have you in their lives. You're so good to all of them, Goku. Thank you for taking care of them. I still say you don't get nearly as much credit as you deserve."

The Saiyan chuckled, "I get as much as I want now. I like where I am now in my life. I can live it out quietly with my mates and my son. I don't want any more credit than that. I never really was one for the spotlight, you know? I fought in tournaments because I'm a fighter and there's not really any other good way to make money. It was never about the recognition or fame. As long as my friends and family know the truth, they know that I'm trying to help, that's all I need." He sighed contentedly against the older woman, "I just don't want to see them suffer. It's not fair."

She rubbed his back. "I know it's not fair," she said quietly. "All of your family has been through so much. But don't you worry. Once this is over, things will settle down. I can feel it. There's a time of peace coming. I've felt it ever since Dende and Rose reunited. You'll have time to relax for a change."

Goku smiled against her and sighed contently. "I hope you're right. But I'm not sure if I will know what to do with myself!" he joked. "It would be nice to not have to worry about things for a while and just really enjoy family." He blinked, remembering, "Oh! Are you coming back to help with Lindsey's pregnancy again? Twins! I can hardly believe it. I think I'll just steal them for myself."

"Oh, I don't know," Gramma answered. "Gohan handled that pretty well with the first one. I might just sit back and let him do it." She snickered to herself. "Ah, who am I kidding? I can't stay away from things like that. You know me. But I bet she'll let you steal Phoenix for awhile when those babies get here." She looked at him then and wagged her eyebrows as if she knew a secret. "Has she told you what she's having?"

Goku crossed his arms and pouted. "No. She said she didn't want to ruin the surprise. I think I am partial to the boys, but two granddaughters could be interesting." He shook his head, "But I think two boys would be less of a, uh, you know, a handful."

"Oh, well if she wants to keep it a secret, maybe I shouldn't say anything," Gramma said, trying to keep a straight face as he pouted even more. She couldn't do it. She threw her head back and laughed. "Okay, okay. But you have to pretend to be surprised. It's a boy and a girl. She's finally getting that daughter she said she wanted. She's gonna have her hands full with that one. Personally, I think it's karmic payback."

Goku blinked, pulling back from the older woman a moment to look at her with confusion. "But, how is that possible, I thought she was having twins? She isn't?"

"Oh, Goku," Gramma sighed and covered her face with her hand. "Of course she's having twins! They don't have to be the same sex to be considered twins. One boy, one girl. You'll have to come get me when it's close to time for her to have them."

A smile split his face as she agreed to come to Japan again. "You got it!" he grinned.

Jenny wrapped herself up in the dress Gramma provided. The warm bath left her feeling refreshed in a way she hadn't felt in a week, perhaps even longer than that. She felt subdued, beaten down, weak. It had been good to push all of those feelings and the illness out into the water. She would beat this thing.

Dressed, she carefully made her way down the steps, holding onto the iron wrought handrails as she went, making sure she wasn't going to take a tumble down to the first floor. It was easy to find them, the temple part of Gramma's house was warm and welcoming to her, as if it were expecting her. She paused at the doorway, a small smile playing at her lips as she watched Goku wrapped around Gramma, holding her so carefully.

Gramma turned as she felt Jenny's presence at the doorway. She stood and went to her, giving her a soft smile. The bell-sleeved red gown was slightly too big on her. She'd lost weight already. The joking atmosphere in the room gone, she took Jenny's hand and led her over to the altar. "You sit down here between me and Goku," she said as she sat on the floor.

She picked up a tiny glass bottle of blessed water and sprinkled it around the taper candle Goku had blessed for her. She smiled to herself. For all his uncertainty, Goku had willed a tremendous amount of energy into that candle. It was exactly what she'd been counting on. She handed Jenny a small piece of parchment and a pencil. "I want you to write down everything you want to banish from yourself. The cancer. The nausea. Your fears, guilt, sadness. Anything and everything that is affecting you right now. And don't just write it. Imagine that as you write it, it becomes trapped in the paper. You understand?"

Jenny's eyes prickled with hot tears as she processed Gramma's words, but nodded. She leaned over on the floor, her pencil poised above the paper. Everything she wanted to banish from herself. '_Guilt of being unable to give Piccolo the son he and I wanted so dearly,'_ she wrote down first; it was the thing she carried the most with her. Somehow, if she had been able to give Piccolo a son, it would have made this journey easier on her heart. She wrote down her cancer, the nausea, and inability to eat or keep anything down. She wanted to banish the fears she had with her, so that she could have absolute focus on her healing, even though it seemed as if it were out of her hands now. Nothing to do, but sit back and watch it go by.

Gramma set a small cast iron cauldron on the floor when Jenny was done. She leaned forward and blew on the candle until a flame sprung to life. "Magick mend while the candle burns. Sickness will end and health will return." She turned to Jenny, "Now set that paper on fire from the candle's flame and let it burn to ash in the cauldron. We're going to banish all of that from you."

Goku watched on, the spells that Gramma could do may not have been what Sabriena and the other girls did, but that's what made them fascinating. She had her own brand of magick that she wielded like a sword and he found himself entranced by it. His heart ached on some level for Jenny and her illness. Sabriena had cried herself to sleep the first night she had found out. It had been a restless night when Jenny had her surgery as well. He truly hoped that what Gramma had said was true.

That peace was coming.

Gramma picked up a stick of lavender incense and lit it in the flame of the candle. She smiled at the photo of Jenny in her hand and held the picture in the smoke of the incense as she concentrated, imagining Jenny surrounded by a healing green light. She was silent as she worked, focused on her task. When she felt confident that the photo was full of strong, happy, healing energy, she rolled it up and began to wrap it with a piece of red ribbon.

She pulled a silver ring from her finger that was set with a beautiful piece of jade and slipped it onto the rolled up photograph. Then she dripped a little bit of the blessed water onto it. "Surrounded by a ring of jade, encircled by the healing waters, bound together by cord of blood, strength restored and life renewed." She held the photo in her hands for a moment before she removed the ring and placed it on Jenny's finger. Then she touched the edge of the rolled up picture to the candle's flame and dropped the burning picture into the cauldron on top of the ashes of Jenny's note.

Goku frowned, looking down at the burning photo. It had been a good picture, happy and full of life. He didn't understand why she would burn such a treasure. The inkling of a thought wormed its way into his mind, that burning a pure picture such as that would bring harm instead of good, but he trusted Gramma that she was doing the right thing.

She took hold of Jenny's hand then reached for Goku's with the other as she indicated for him to hold Jenny's other hand. "You're going to beat this," she said in a stern whisper as she fixed Jenny with an intense stare. "It's not going to be easy and you may even reach a point where you feel like you want to give up. But you can't. You're stronger than this and you can do it. I know you can."

"Jenny," Goku started, rubbing his thumb over the top of her hand, "Since we first met, I knew you were a strong person. Strong character, passionate beliefs and nothing would stop you on the way to your goals." He looked at her, seeing the fear in her eyes, "You've saved a lot of us. You've done so much. Let us help you now. It's not weakness. Our friends are our strength. Asking for help now when you can is a strength few realize is an asset."

"Let's just sit quietly for a minute while the candle burns out," Gramma said. She looked at Goku, "Just concentrate on her being healthy again, like she's already beat this thing." She let her eyes close and she squeezed their hands a little tighter as she did exactly that, picturing Jenny happy and healthy again. Training with her father, running and playing with her little girls, enjoying worry-free moments with Piccolo.

Goku closed his eyes, remembering all of the times he had seen Jenny. He could barely remember a time when she wasn't with Piccolo. The good she brought out in him. The way he became more social, attending family gatherings and the like since she came into his life. When he came to America for Lindsey's wedding. When he and Jenny found out they were pregnant with Paige. How hard they'd fought to rescue Paige when she'd been taken from them. How dedicated Jenny had been to making the armor that saved their lives in that battle. How she always seemed to be a calming, warm presence in their lives, despite the rough upbringing she'd come from. He wanted more. He imagined her bringing her girls to play at his house, running around the garden, chasing the chickens, fishing, hunting.

He imagined Jenny being at Lindsey's side when the twins would be born, Jenny's daughters and his son playing with the twins. Phoenix laughing and playing along as well. He wanted that. With all of his heart, he wanted it.

Jenny could feel the positive energies coming from them both. They were strong, both of them the best at what they did. She took that strength into herself and focused on the life she wanted, the life that had seemingly halted her life before. She wanted to grow old with Piccolo, watch their daughters grow and blossom into the powerful women she knew they would be. She wanted to keep training with her dad, know her brother and sister's children. Her mother. She wanted it all. She held the thought of her mate close to her heart. She ached for him the most. She wanted him to stop losing sleep over her, to stop worrying every time after dinner when she ran to the bathroom to throw up.

They stayed that way for quite a while until the candle burned out. Gramma dropped their hands and picked up the little cauldron of cooled ashes. Goku's frown at the burning photo wasn't missed. "Burning the list she made represents releasing those problems to the universe, the Goddess, letting them handle it. The photo showed Jenny as happy and healthy and was imbued with healing energy. Burning it releases those energies out into the universe as well," she explained as she mixed the ashes together and tipped them into a little green satchel. "Does that help you understand?"

Goku watched as the ashes fell into the little bag and he nodded, "Yeah, that makes sense. I just, I mean, wasn't that photo precious to you?" He almost smacked himself; Jenny was precious and her life was more meaningful than any old photo could be. He blushed and rubbed at his hair as he bowed his head. "I'm sorry, nevermind. I understand."

Gramma smiled at him. "Of course the photo means something to me. Don't you think I have a double of it?" she winked at him as she added some lavender to the little pouch and pulled the drawstrings tight. She pressed the bag in Jenny's hand. "You hide that away somewhere until the full moon and then you bury it, okay? And you keep that ring. It'll give you strength."

Jenny nodded, taking the bag and holding it carefully before she wrapped her arms around Gramma, "Thank you. Thank you for everything. It feels better. I hope it will last. I will do my best to beat this disease. This chemo. I'm just so happy I don't have to go through it alone."

"Of course you're not alone, darlin'," Gramma said and hugged her tightly. She could still feel the emotions from Jenny, the fear, the guilt, but they were lessened now. Gramma pulled back and cupped Jenny's face in her hands and smiled at her. "Now you go home and rest. Take care of those little girls. You call me if you need anything at all and we'll get Goku to come get me. You hear? Don't be stubborn or proud about it. It's okay to ask for help."

Jenny nodded her head. "I promise," she said as she pulled back, "Thank you. I may send Goku for food every so often." She chuckled. "Maybe I'll send Trouble with him and you and her can cook and bring me back a feast I can eat." She chuckled and looked at Goku. "Let me go change and we can go home," she said as she got to her feet and left the room.

"Send Trouble to outdo me in my own kitchen," Gramma muttered with an amused expression on her face as she grabbed Goku's hand and led him out into the living room. She sat down on the couch as he sat beside her and she pulled him to lay his head in her lap. "I know you. You're not going to leave unless I do this," she chuckled as she began to run her fingers through his hair.

Goku purred loudly as her gentle fingers sifted through his hair and he closed his eyes, getting more comfortable. Vegeta said he should be embarrassed, but it felt too good and he could go to sleep with all the energy they exerted. "I don't think I could bring Sabriena with me to you with an intent for her to cook. I would seriously die from over eating!" He laughed before he quieted down and nuzzled into her leg, wrapping his arms around her calves and purring louder.

"Well then you'll just have to bring that prince with you so you don't eat ALL the food," Gramma said mischievously. A smile played across her lips; she enjoyed antagonizing Vegeta so much. It amused her to no end. "So how is Goten doing? I don't think you've said lately how he's adjusting to everything. He seemed happy when I saw him briefly after that last fiasco."

Goku smiled against her and turned his head so he could peer up at her, "He's doing really well." His heart warmed as he thought about his son, "He's started calling Sabriena and Tien mom and dad. It's really great. Sabriena, she's been amazing with him, calling him her little boy and all of that. Tien called him his son the other night. I can't really express how happy I am. To see my son embracing my family as his own. I almost lost hope that he would ever have a normal childhood. But here it is. Sabriena's teaching him how to cook. I've never seen him happier. Tien's teaching him how to hunt and forage. They come back with meat and mushrooms and then I eat until I can't move. I'm doomed."

Gramma threw her head back and laughed. "If Trouble's turning him into as good of a cook as she is, yeah, you don't stand a chance." She shook her head as she continued to play with his hair. "I'm so happy to hear that. That little boy deserves a good family." She tried to stifle a yawn. While it was the middle of the day back on their side of the world, here she'd stayed up until the early morning hours to make that soup because she knew they were coming. "I'll have to visit with him the next time you come to get me. He's still wearing his necklace, right?"

Goku smiled against her and nodded, "He never takes it off. He won't even take it off when it's time for a bath. I more than understand why, I'm glad you were able to give him something to protect him in his time of need." He reluctantly sat up as he heard Jenny coming back down the stairs, "Get some rest, you've done so much. I just wish there was something more I could do for you."

"You don't owe me a thing," Gramma assured him. She got up and went to Jenny to hug her one last time. "You're going to be fine," she said softly in her ear. "Just don't lose faith. You're going to beat this, baby."

Jenny hugged Gramma back tightly. "Thank you Gramma. I will beat this thing. I hope Goku will bring you to visit soon. Don't be a stranger," she teased lightly before she pulled back and went to Goku, giggling softly as he picked her up bridal style once again, "See you around."

"Goodbye, my darlings," Gramma said and they vanished from the spot. She sighed sadly to herself and muttered, "Goddess, watch over them. This isn't going to be an easy road at all."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Nobody panic! Chichi only makes a couple brief appearances in this story. She's not going to cause any more trouble. It's more like we're foreshadowing for future stories. **GreenSaiyan** nailed it: Gramma's curse is starting to manifest itself.


	12. What's in a Name?

Tora blinked in surprise when he entered Marron's hospital room. He expected to find Eighteen there, but instead he found her brother sitting at Marron's bedside. "Hey, Seventeen," he said as he sat down in a chair and laid the storybook on the little table. He'd borrowed it from Bulma who told him it was one of Alice's favorites whenever she came to visit at Capsule Corp. Even though she was still unconscious, Tora thought that he would read some of it to Marron. He had overheard the nurses telling Eighteen that there was a chance Marron could hear them. "Where's your sister?" he asked casually.

Seventeen looked up at the Saiyan and gave a little wave as he sat up straighter and arched his back in the chair, his spine popping audibly. "I sent her home to get a shower, a change of clothes, you know, stuff she's been neglecting to do. I have the watch until she gets back." He peered over at the book that Tora had with him. "Reading fairytales now? Didn't think that'd be your style," he snickered.

Tora gave a laugh. "Oh yeah, you know me. This is more my reading-level," he joked back. He chuckled again and ran a hand over his face. "No, really I just thought I'd read a story to Marron. One of the nurses said that the patients here might be able to hear what's going on around them. So I thought, hey, why not?" He shrugged and ran his thumb over the corner of the pages of the book. "Maybe it was a silly idea, but if I was laying there able to hear everything and not move, I'd be bored out of my mind."

Seventeen nodded, "That's not a bad idea actually, but I don't know if I want her to hear things I've said. She'd better not wake up swearing!" He rubbed the back of his head, "Maybe my sister could give that a try. Might put her in a better mood, I think she misses the normality of it. And you know, it's hard for her. Krillin's daughter. He was a good man for her, I would be upset too if, you know, I were in her shoes. Shit. It's not fair."

"I know," Tora muttered, frowning at the little girl sleeping in the bed. "I wish there was something more I could do. Something I could do to make her wake up. I hate seeing your sister so upset. Goddammit, this is all my fault," he grumbled and leaned forward to rest his forehead on the heel of his hand. "We should never have come here. I was just so desperate to get off that godforsaken planet, I would've walked barefoot into hell just to get away from it." He looked up at Seventeen, "If I'd known the chain of events I was going to cause, I never would have led my crew here, man. Never."

Seventeen looked over at the Saiyan, "Hey, you didn't know what you would find or who you would run into. I think it's understandable to get away from a life of solitude with those others as your only company. No offense, but they were batshit." He rubbed at his head and stood up, looking down at Marron. "I need some rest. I'll get outta your hair for your story time," he said as he grabbed his overnight bag and slung it over his shoulder, getting ready to head out. "You know, if you want to make my sis feel better, you could try calling her by her real name. She'd probably really appreciate it, since no one else calls her by it. You know how women are with that stuff."

Tora's expression brightened a bit. "Yeah? You think so?" he asked hopefully. Eighteen was still being rather cold towards him and only seemed to tolerate his presence at best. "Your sister is hard to read, man. I never know what's going on in that head of hers." He looked at Marron again, thinking that if he could get Eighteen to warm up to him a bit it might make her happier, more pleasant to be around. And Marron deserved to wake up to a happy mommy. "Ah hell, it's not like she can hate me any more than she already does. She hates the pet-names I give her. Let's give it a shot. What's her real name, anyway?"

Seventeen gave Tora a smile, "Lazuli, you know. Like the stone?" He ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, try calling her by her real name and see if her attitude doesn't improve. You might be surprised," he said. "You take care, I'll be back after I get some shut eye. Good luck with my sis." He waved at the Saiyan and quickly turned down the hallway, unable to stop himself from snickering. He couldn't wait to hear about this one.

Tora thought the name was a bit odd, but then again, the people of this planet all had weird names as far as he was concerned. He shrugged and thought the name over and over to himself several times so he didn't forget it or mispronounce it before he grabbed up the book and moved closer to Marron's bed. He frowned sadly at her for a moment, then cracked open the storybook. "Hey, little one," he said softly. "I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I thought you might like to listen to a story. Bulma sent this book for you. She said your friend Alice loves it." He sighed as she didn't stir. Gods, how he wished she would wake up. "That's okay, you just rest and I'll read to you," he said and began to read the story aloud.

Eighteen came back to the hospital almost too soon, but she felt better after a shower and a fresh change of clothes. She hadn't slept very well, waking up every hour or so to check messages. She was hoping to hear from the hospital or her brother that Marron had woken up, but no such luck. The hospital staff on Marron's floor greeted her, one nurse bringing her some coffee in a small styrofoam cup. She never wanted to be so familiar to nurses in that accursed place.

Eighteen went into her daughter's room and nearly dropped the cup when she spotted Tora instead of her brother sitting at Marron's bedside, reading her a fairytale from a book. If she wasn't so distressed about the situation, she would have appreciated the story of Sleeping Beauty a little more, "Never figured you one for princess stories. Where did you get that?"

"My own collection," he replied sarcastically before he continued to read to Marron. He finished up the story and closed the book, then sat back and grinned at Eighteen. "I see you finally showered. It's about time," he teased. He couldn't stop himself from snickering at the angry expression on her face. "No, really, I borrowed it from Bulma. I sent your brother home. He looked like he was about to pass out."

Eighteen had to stop herself from rolling her eyes as she walked over to the other side of Marron's bed and sat down with a huff, putting the coffee on the little table. "Ass," she muttered under her breath and gave him a look before she looked at her daughter. "Should'a known Seventeen wouldn't be able to go the whole night unless it was a sex marathon." She reached out and smoothed Marron's hair, brushing her blonde strands off of her face, "Did she do anything when you read that story?"

"Nah," Tora answered with a shake of his head. "I thought maybe she would, but I'm not that lucky." He looked over at Eighteen, her given name rolling around in his head again. He silently prayed he wouldn't stumble over it. Getting a woman's name wrong was a sure-fire way to get yourself slapped. "She's going to wake up soon. She has to. You have to be strong for her, Lazuli."

Eighteen's eyes snapped up at the name, glaring over at the Saiyan. She was on her feet the next second, her chair scraping across the floor. "The hell did you call me? Let me guess, dear brother gave you that one. He's the only one who knows that name." She growled, muttering under her breath, "My damned hippie mother was high when she named us. I absolutely loathe that name. If I hear that come out of your mouth again, I'll rip out your tongue. Are we clear on that?"

Tora's eyes went wide at her outburst. "Jesus! Calm down. Yeah, it was your dumbass brother who told me to use your name. If it pisses you off that much, then fine, I won't use it! But you need to calm the hell down, woman. I wasn't trying to piss you off. Gods know you're bitchy enough as it is," he finished with a grumble and sat back in his chair as he tossed the book onto the table beside him.

She felt a growl rising up inside of her, "Excuse me?!" She hissed, "I'm bitchy? I think I have reason to be, don't you think?" She was going to murder her brother the next time she saw him. "You'd better not use it or get it in your head that it's a good name to pass around. If I find out that you told anyone else about that name, I'll take off something more sensitive than your tongue. Lazuli isn't who I am, that person doesn't exist anymore and it's a stupid name to begin with. Sounds like some magician's street name. As far as you or anyone is concerned, my name is Eighteen."

"And what appendage are you threatening to amputate today, hmm? Let me guess. My tail? My dick? Those are usually your two favorites to target when you're in a mood," he spat. He could feel his own anger starting to rise to the surface, his patience wearing thin with this woman. For over a month now he'd been coming to this hospital, checking on her and her daughter, trying to do anything he could think of to help out, and this was the reaction he got for trying to be nice? "You could try being a little nicer to the people who only want to help you out. Would it kill you to stop being a bitch for once?"

"It just might," she spat back at him, wishing that Krillin hadn't had the decency to remove the bomb from herself. "How about I lop off your head? That might be a vast improvement. That way you might think to ask someone if you can call them something you've never heard before. Especially from my brother. Damn him for trying to be funny during a time like this," she growled before she went quiet, listening to the increased heart rate of her daughter's machines.

"You know what?" he growled before he, too, heard the machine beeping faster. "To hell with this," he said in a quieter but no less fierce tone. "You wanna sit here and brood and feel sorry for yourself all the damn time? Fine. You have people around you who care about you and your daughter and all you do is push everyone away. You're hurting. I get that. But you're not the only one who's lost someone you care about, sweetheart." He got to his feet, his muscles tensing and bunching under his skin. "I hope you can pull that stick outta your ass before your daughter wakes up. She doesn't need all your negativity around her all the damn time."

Eighteen was starting to see red and she marched over to him, slapping his face. "How dare you tell me what my daughter does or doesn't need. Who the hell do you think you are? You only come around here because you feel guilty for what you did to Krillin. If Marron knew that you were part of the group that killed her father, she wouldn't give you a second thought. You would be the monster under her bed!"

The machines around Marron's bed started beeping and a nurse rushed in to check on her. She had heard the argument, but that was a common thing to hear on this floor. Upset family members and all that. So long as it didn't escalate, she tried to let them get it out of their systems. "You both need to step out of the room until you calm down. Marron's heart rate has skyrocketed. I'm not going to be able to allow you back into this room until you solve your dispute."

Tora's cheek stung from where Eighteen slapped him. But what really hurt was his heart. "You," he started, his tail whipping around behind him in an irritated sort of way. He took several deep breaths through his nose before he turned and marched out into the semi-darkened hallway. He didn't know whether he should be concerned or excited about Marron's heart rate speeding up like that. It had to mean she really could hear them, right? Or was it a fluke? Either way, it didn't matter in the moment because he was far too angry with Eighteen. Her words stung far worse than her slap did.

He rounded on her the second she was out of Marron's room. "You are the most ungrateful person I've ever met in my life. I've said I'm sorry a thousand times over. I've tried to make up for my mistake. Everyone else has forgiven me! Kakarot, Tien, Yamcha… They lost their friend that day, too. I DIDN'T KILL KRILLIN!" he roared.

His outburst drew the attention of the night-shift nurses at the nurses' station and he forced himself to shut his mouth as he wrapped his tail tightly around his waist again. He threw his hands up in the air and let them fall back to his sides with a slap. He wanted so bad to just give up, just walk away from this. It wasn't his mess to deal with. But he'd made a promise and it killed him to break his word. He scrubbed irritatedly at his mouth with his hand, trying to choose his next words carefully, but none seemed to come to him, so he just stared at her with a hateful gleam in his eyes.

Eighteen watched him for a moment, hearing the door to her daughter's room close. She was seething and only one thing came to mind. "Take us to the gravity room. NOW so I can kick your ass and be done with this."

"HA!" Tora laughed mockingly. "I'm not taking you anywhere! I'm not going to take you to Capsule Corp and wake up everyone in that house. I don't live there anymore! You wanna blow off some steam, then you figure out how to do it yourself." He took on a cocky, condescending air, "Besides. I wouldn't wanna hurt you, cupcake. You seem pretty fragile."

Eighteen growled, "I beat your 'prince' the first time he tried to fight me as a super Saiyan. I crushed him into the dust," she said. "Besides, you can finally put me in my place. Isn't that what you've been wanting, pretty boy?" She wanted to shut him up, to prove something, that he wasn't worth her time. Or that she wasn't worth his.

Pretty boy? That was something he'd never been called before. If it was even possible, his heart sank a little more. "Put you in your place? Where the hell did you get that idea?" he asked. It blew his mind; he'd never made any sexist remarks towards her or any other female on this planet. The worst he'd ever done was irritate her with pet-names. And that wasn't meant to be an insult of any kind. He blinked then, a realization dawning on him. "Nothing I do or say is going to be right by you," he growled and turned on his heel, heading for the exit. "I'll be back later when you've had time to calm the hell down!"

Eighteen was furious. She wanted to hit him. She followed after him, ignoring the looks from the staff in the hospital. "Don't you walk away from me," she said as they emerged from the building. "I don't know what you are trying to do! I get it, okay? You didn't kill my husband. You made some promise to him to keep me and my daughter safe. Fine. I don't get why you are here. Why you are trying to cozy up to me. Why are you watching over my daughter when she is already safe? Why are you trying to do more? Why are you trying to go above and beyond what you promised? Isn't it enough to help my daughter, to promise to keep us both safe? You have to come here and try and make her forget?" Tears gathered in her eyes as she finally said what had been bothering her and she felt her knees give out as she slid to the pavement. "You can't take his place. You aren't him!"

Tora threw his leg over the big motorcycle he'd parked outside and paused to look down at her. "You think that's what I'm trying to do?" he asked incredulously. "Woman, you are outside of your goddamn mind. I'm not trying to take Krillin's place! I told you I made a promise to him. And I failed him! Marron got hurt anyway! You're hurting! I can see it! God DAMN it, Eighteen, can't you see I'm just trying to make good on my word?! I don't want her to forget him. I'm worried about that enough as it is since she's so young. WHY THE HELL WOULD I HAVE GIVEN HER A PICTURE OF HIM FOR HER BIRTHDAY IF I WANTED HER TO FORGET HIM?!" He sat back heavily on the seat of his bike and rubbed at his face with both hands. He felt defeated. "The hell do you want me to do?"

Her mind was jumbled, she wasn't sure what to think, what to believe any more. Tears rolled down her face as she raised her hand at him, flattening her palm and watching as it started to glow and hum with a deadly energy, aiming it at his face. She could do it, he would let her do it, of that she was sure. But he just sat there, looking at her.

"You wanna kill me?" he asked in an even tone. "Go ahead. If that's what it takes to make you feel better, then do it." He sat there, staring at her, waiting for the blast to hit his face. He knew she was strong enough to do it, especially since he wasn't powered up, wasn't using his magick, and had no intention of blocking her blast. If giving up his life was what he had to do to somehow pay for his mistake, then so be it. "Come on, Eighteen. If you're gonna do it, do it. I don't have all night."

He sat there for several minutes, but the android never fired her blast, although she still aimed it at him. He heaved a heavy sigh and lifted the kickstand of his bike with his boot as the engine roared to life. "You think on it, then. I'll be back," he said and laid on the accelerator, swinging the big bike out into traffic, and disappeared down the street.

Eighteen watched as he left, wanting with every fiber of her being to fire the shot at him, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Wouldn't it bring her peace? Knowing that one more of the crew responsible for her husband's death was wiped from the face of this earth? This existence? She closed her eyes, hearing a familiar voice asking her on the wind, "_Would it?"_

She canceled her attack. Her fist stopped glowing as she slammed it into the ground, the concrete cracking under the force of the hit. "Dammit, Krillin! Let me do it! Let me end him so I can sleep at night. I can't… I can't do this without you!"

* * *

><p>Tora tore through the streets of the city on his motorcycle, his mind ablaze with what had taken place in the hospital. He was going to murder Seventeen in his sleep for this. There were times when he thought he was actually making progress with Eighteen. Times when she wasn't quite so hateful to him or her eyes lost that icy glare for just a moment. But now he saw that she truly, deeply hated him with every part of her. All he'd wanted to do was to help and somehow he seemed to keep making things worse. He tried to think of a million different ways to make it up to her, but they all seemed lame, cliche, or that they would just plain infuriate her even more.<p>

He wanted to talk to someone, but it was late and he had no idea who to talk to. Kakarot and his mates were out of the question. It was way too late to be bothering them. Seventeen knew Eighteen better than anyone, but Tora figured he'd kill the dark-haired android if he saw him right now. And he didn't want to bother Bulma. Again.

He slowed to a stop at a red light and dropped his head for a moment, not knowing what to do. "Gods, give me strength to deal with this woman. I'm so lost."


	13. Learning to Deal

It was three days later before Tora felt calmed down enough to return to the hospital. He'd spent most of his time at Capsule Corp with Vegeta, training in the gravity room, using up the energy and anger he felt about the situation. He didn't speak a word about what happened to anyone. It wasn't their business. He didn't know if Eighteen was going to kill him or not, but he wasn't afraid. If that's what she needed to do, then he wouldn't hold it against her. What was that saying the earthlings had? An eye for an eye? Well, in this case, it was more a life for a life. He understood.

He had a second key made for his apartment and gave it to Bulma with the only explanation of, "Just in case." If the android did decide to kill him, at least they could clean out his apartment afterwards. He hated the thought of the landlord coming in and just throwing out his books.

He arrived late in the morning at the hospital and was greeted by a couple of the nurses who recognized him. He hadn't seen the hateful nurse since that night he'd confronted her. He didn't go in Marron's room. There was one more thing he had to do before he saw Eighteen again. The stunt Seventeen pulled left Tora less than impressed and he was going to make it known. Hopefully he could resist the urge to kill the younger man. So he settled himself in a chair outside Marron's room and waited.

He didn't have to wait long. The tall, slender android appeared within the hour, heading straight for Marron's room and Tora rose to his feet to block Seventeen's path. He leered over the android as he swallowed down the feral growl in his throat. "I gotta bone to pick with you," he said in a tone that clearly conveyed he was not going to be brushed off.

Seventeen gave him a confused look, but it didn't last long and a smirk crossed his face. "Oh! Hey man," he chuckled, "Let me guess, Lazuli didn't appreciate her own name? I thought for sure if she heard you purr it, she'd have a change of heart," he joked, "Come on man, it's funny! Don't you think?"

"Funny?" Tora asked, raising his eyebrows. "You think that's funny? She threatened to kill me! LITERALLY! She still might, for all I know. You have no idea the fight you caused. Seventeen, goddammit, man, you know she hates me as it is. Why on earth would you suggest something like that? We got kicked out of Marron's room, we were arguing so bad."

Eighteen was exhausted, nodding off next to her daughter's bedside when she heard the shouting outside of the closed door. Her brother probably tried something stupid with the nurses. He was never going to realize his jokes weren't that funny and that they could border on the obscene if he wasn't careful. He didn't mean a word of it, of course. He loved Leelee and would never dream of betraying her, but sometimes he got a little too carried away with his jokes. She got up, moving to open the door when she froze, hearing Tora's voice on the other side.

Seventeen shrugged his shoulders. "She's a big girl, she'll get over it. It's just the name our mother gave her… us, when we were born. I really think she was high that day. It's always funny to watch her face when she gets called 'Lazuli.' Hilarious, man. It's not my fault you chose to execute the name at the wrong time."

Tora pinched the bridge of his nose to keep himself from strangling Seventeen. He met the android's pale blue eyes with a fierce stare. "You're not listening. It wasn't funny. If you can get away with it, fine. But it enraged her when I did it. Your sister ended up crying on the goddamn sidewalk after it was all said and done. She's having a hard enough time as it is. You still think it's funny?" There was a threatening growl to his voice that he didn't intend, but he was so frustrated that he couldn't stop it.

Seventeen froze, hearing what happened. He usually just got a punch in the arm for calling her that. "Really?" He ran a hand over his face. He hadn't meant for Eighteen to get so upset. In all honesty, he thought the two of them would end up laughing about it after her irritation wore off. Now he felt like shi for upsetting her so much. "I thought it would be good for her, you know? She's been so stressed out, she needed something closer to reality, you know?"

Eighteen threw the door open, glaring daggers at her brother. "Reality?! We can't all be potheads and think that reality will just catch up with us. Her heart rate that night could have killed her! It's not something to laugh at! Not now! Damn it, Seventeen! This is not the place I want to have jokes thrown at me from left and right! Don't you realize how serious this is?! Don't you care about my daughter!?" She cried as she threw herself at him. The anger she had felt over the past few days, the anger at Tora calling her by her "real" name, she finally let go and pulled back her arm to throw a punch at her brother.

Tora's eyes went wide as Eighteen's fist slammed into Seventeen's nose and he stumbled back, blood dripping down his lip. "Eighteen, stop!" Tora cried and wrapped his heavily muscled arm around her tiny waist. She fought against him, still trying to get at her brother as Tora held her back. His face went red with the effort; she was far stronger than he'd anticipated. "Stop! Hurting your brother isn't going to solve anything!" he pleaded. This was not how he envisioned this visit going. Once again, he'd managed to fuck things up. He was going to end up banned from the hospital if he didn't watch it. "Damn you," he growled in a strained voice as he fought to hold her back.

Seventeen growled at the display and backed away. "Fuck, Eighteen, I didn't mean anything by it!" he protested as he wiped his nose on the back of his wrist, streaking blood across his face. He watched on as Tora held his sister back. Had he been the one insulted by the situation, he would have let his sister go a long time ago, but Tora held her back. "You needed something to make you smile for just a minute! I didn't mean for you to get all butthurt," he spat at her. "And for the record, I'm not a pothead! That's a fucking insult and you know it. Jesus, you smoke once in a while and everyone's gotta throw it in your face."

"Let go of me!" Eighteen barked at Tora as she struggled in his grasp before she looked at Seventeen again. "It wasn't funny! If that was your idea of trying to cheer me up, you failed! MISERABLY! There's nothing to smile about anymore!" She wiped at her eyes before she tried to take another swing at him, but Tora held her out of reach of Seventeen.

"Fine!" Seventeen shot back. He felt lousy; all he wanted was for his sister to relax for a little bit. He missed the way she used to be, how happy she had been when Krillin was still alive. "Fuck it all. I'm going back home. Hope you can handle her on your own, Tora."

Tora glared at Seventeen. "Just go. She'll be fine. Just go home," he said sternly as Eighteen still struggled to free herself from his grasp. He watched as Seventeen turned and headed down the hallway towards the exit. "Eighteen, stop," he said in a soothing tone. "Stop." He frowned as her struggling lessened, but her tears began to fall more freely.

He could've kicked himself then. He'd caused this. All of this. If Krillin were here, Eighteen wouldn't have been nearly as distraught as she was. He squeezed his eyes shut and wrapped his other arm around her, leaning over her, holding her tightly. "Stop fighting me," he growled in her ear. "I'm not letting you go."

Eighteen sagged in Tora's arms, barely able to see her brother leave as he walked down the hallway. The whole world felt as if it were pressing down on her. Why didn't they understand? Her entire world was falling apart, and all they wanted to do was tease her and pester her in some half-assed attempt at cheering her up. "You're so lame, Seventeen!" she shouted after him. A sob escaped her throat, "So lame."

Tora didn't know what to do, still holding her in his arms as she cried. Thinking quickly, he stepped backwards into Marron's room, then kicked the door shut, trying to hide Eighteen away from the curious stares of the nurses and patrons in the hallway. It broke his heart to hear her cry like that. He wondered if she'd had a chance to really cry like this, to just give in to her emotions, if anyone had held her and comforted her. "Shhhhh," he soothed.

The room was a quiet comfort compared to the hustle and bustle of the active hallway. She wanted to curl in on herself, but sobbed into Tora's arms at all the hurt she felt, digging her fingers into the muscled bicep as she looked over at her daughter on the bed. Hearing her brother first hand and realizing Tora really had just been trying to do something nice for her was almost too much to bear. She had been looking for an outlet and jumped at the first chance that one presented itself to her.

She wiped at her eyes, but more tears fell down her face as she cried, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She gasped out as she only sobbed harder than before, "You didn't deserve it. I'm so sorry."

Tora couldn't quite swallow the knot in his throat. "Yes I do," he answered thickly. "I'm the one who's sorry, Eighteen. I caused this." He held her tighter, his face pressed into the back of her hair. He didn't know what to do, how to comfort her. This was new to him. Saiyans usually didn't express their emotions like this, if they had any at all. He moved to sit in one of the chairs next to Marron's bed and pulled her into his lap, crushing her to his chest. "Let it out, Eighteen. I'm not going to judge you."

No one had done this for her since it started, since that day she had held Krillin on the battlefield. No one had been able to hold her like this. No one had offered and she didn't offer an invitation to do so. Now, she couldn't believe how much she had missed the comfort of someone else, a friend's comforting touch while she grieved and let it all out of her system. She wasn't sure how long she sat in Tora's lap crying, long enough to justify for the year or so she had been hurting so deeply. She was exhausted when her sobs turned into hiccups and she gratefully accepted the cold water that the Saiyan poured for her from the pitcher in the room. Her head pounded and she leaned over, not moving to get up out of his lap. She just sat there, looking at her daughter while she sipped at her water.

Tora rubbed gently at her back, his heart aching for her. She needed this, needed someone to vent to, to comfort her, to be an understanding friend, or just someone to rage against who could handle her. He looked over at Marron, longing for her to wake up. Eighteen needed her daughter just as much as her daughter needed her right now. He continued to rub her back, feeling her jerk with hiccups under his touch. "You can still kill me if it'll make you feel better," he offered, only half-joking.

Eighteen couldn't stop the half cry, half laugh at escaped her lips as she tore her gaze from her daughter and looked up at him. "Doubt it would do much good at the moment. Let's just go beat up my brother instead," she said as she looked back at her little girl, "I just want her to wake up. For things to go back to the way they were." She frowned and shook her head. "You never realize how good things are until they are taken away."

Tora felt a sharp pang in his chest at her words. "Oh, I know it all too well, darlin'," he answered. He regretted now that he had taken every moment with Bardock and Gine for granted. He'd always thought they would be there, the closest thing to family he'd ever had. What he wouldn't give for just one more day with them. And if his pain still ached like that after all these years for his friends, he couldn't imagine how she felt after losing her husband. Or how she felt knowing that her daughter might never wake up. "It'll never stop hurting," he told her honestly. "You just learn how to deal with it."


	14. Unwelcome Visitors

Rose leaned over the keys of her piano, the music filling the Lookout as Dende calmly made his rounds along the edge of the tile. She looked over at him and gave him a smile from her spot inside the temple. He wasn't nearly as stressed as he had been; peace was settling over the world at last. Even she herself found her workload a little lighter and she finally had time to play the piano again. It had been a wedding gift from Dende.

Despite everything that was going on, it was a relatively peaceful day at the Lookout. The scent of the food Rose had in the oven wafted out to them, nearly ready for lunchtime. Jenny was resting in her bed, trying to recover from the latest round of chemo. Alice, as always, was Dende's little shadow. And Paige was laying beneath the piano bench, coloring pretty pictures for her mommy. Even Piccolo seemed to enjoy the soft music as he meditated. But the peace and quiet was to be short-lived.

Rose paused in her playing as she noticed a capsule car approaching the Lookout. It was rare for their friends to use a car to visit. Most of them would just fly there. Or Goku would pop in, laughing when he scared them at his sudden appearance. "Who is that?" Rose asked curiously.

Jenny groaned as she rolled over in bed, sensing the familiar energies approaching the Lookout. She had specifically told them to NOT visit, but here they were. She was still ill, the recent round of chemo seemed to be stronger than the last, but she had to get up. She forced herself up out of the bed, stumbling once or twice on her way to the door. Her nausea hit full force and she collapsed near the bedroom trashcan and dry heaved. "Piccolo," she gasped between breaths, "Help me up. It's my mom, my sister."

"Oh gods," Piccolo deadpanned as Jenny's words reached his ears all the way outside. He had never met Jenny's family and he had no desire to. Of all damn times for them to show up. He hurried into the bedroom and helped Jenny to her feet, letting her lean against him as he wrapped an arm around her. "You should get back in bed. Let me deal with them. I'll let them know they're not welcome. You don't need this stress."

Jenny was sorely tempted by her husband's offer. "That's a good one, thinking that you can keep them away from me." She leaned against him heavily, enjoying his strength, his warmth. She wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed and go to sleep. She had only a day since her last chemo. It had taken her days to recover from her last treatment. "I would love to go back to sleep, but you'll learn. They don't have time for sleep."

Piccolo growled as they slowly made their way down the hall and outside where the car had landed on the Lookout. Thankfully, Jenny's biological father wasn't there. He despised the man. But he wasn't exactly a fan of her sister, either. "I don't know if I'm going to be able to hold my tongue," he warned as he watched the two women get out of the car. He cast a look over at Dende, muttering under his breath, "You might have to hold me back."

Dende muttered under his breath, "Please, brother. Restraint." He walked over to the two women getting out of the car. He could see the obvious relationship to Jennifer, the physical attributes matched his sister-in-law perfectly. He bowed to them, "Welcome to the Lookout. I am Dende, Guardian of the Earth. Your sister is doing just fine, my brother has been looking over her tirelessly since her treatment has started." He looked over at them as they emerged from the building.

Jenny's mother's eyes widened as she saw her daughter, frail and a shadow of what she used to be and she rushed towards her daughter, enveloping her in a hug, holding her tight. "Oh my, Jenny! Why didn't you tell me it was this bad? We would have come sooner if you said you were having problems. You said that you were feeling better after the surgery!"

Kacie walked over, looking at her sister. "She's not that sick. I'll bet she's just had one too many painkillers, huh?" she asked. She didn't want to be there. She was missing her work for this when clearly her sister was just fine with her green husband and family.

Jenny sighed and hugged her mother back as much as she could, "I didn't want you to worry, Mom. I know you have things going on. It wouldn't have made any difference. You are here now and that's what counts. Piccolo's been really great and Dende with his wife Rose have been helping us watch the girls."

Piccolo's eye twitched at Kacie's comment. Not that sick? She looked half-dead! She was still battling this fatal disease, struggling to eat anything, sleeping most of the time when she could because her body was so worn out, losing weight by the minute, and her sister had the audacity to say that she was not that sick? He crossed his arms firmly over his chest to stop himself from reaching out and slapping the younger woman who looked so much like his wife.

But where Piccolo would exercise restraint, his daughter would not.

Paige looked up from her coloring and narrowed her eyes at the woman who claimed that her mother wasn't sick. She'd seen Mommy puking in the bathroom herself. People didn't puke when they weren't sick. She slapped her crayon down on the paper in front of her and wiggled out from beneath Rose's piano bench. "Hey!" she shouted, marching across the Lookout with her shocking pink curls bouncing behind her. "You don't talk about my mommy like that!" She came to a stop in front of her parents and put her hands on her hips as she glared up at the unfamiliar woman who looked like her mother.

Jenny felt a groan trying to work its way out of her throat and she reached out, gently tugging her daughter close to her, sliding her hand into her daughter's hair. "That's okay baby. Do you remember your aunt and grandma?" she asked. "You were just a baby when they last saw you."

Kacie snorted, "She probably doesn't remember us then. Doesn't remember any manners it seems, either. Haven't you been teaching them anything? Or do they actually go to public school like that?"

Piccolo frowned at his sister-in-law. "They're not old enough for school," he reminded her firmly. "And as far as manners go, it seems that you are lacking in that department as well."

Paige blinked up at the adults, screwing up her face as if trying to remember. "Nope," she finally answered. Family or not, she decided she didn't much like her aunt. Grandma was still up for debate at this point. She looked at Kacie again. "I learn lots of things! Like flying, punching, Final Flash…" she counted off on her fingers before Piccolo clapped a hand over his daughter's mouth. She glared up at him as if scolding him for interrupting her.

Kacie shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, teaching her all the essential stuff. Great work. And why do you let the other one walk so close to the edge! She's going to fall off and then what?"

Jenny was already starting to feel exhaustion set in and she ran a hand over her face. "She's not going to fall and even if she did, Dende taught her the basics of hovering, she'll be fine." She reached out, taking her daughter's hand, "Come on, you both must be hungry. It's about lunch time and Rose makes some really great vegetarian fajitas."

"Vegetarian?" Jenny's mom asked with a wrinkle of her nose. "Jenny, are you sure they're getting all the nutrients they need from that? You should be more careful about what you feed your children. You don't want them to end up malnourished!" She paused and frowned over at how close little Alice was to the edge. "Your sister's right. You might want to think about not letting her get so close. I'd hate to think of what could happen if she fell! I know you said something about flying, but what if she forgets? Oh, that would just be horrible!"

Jenny bit her lip to keep herself from saying something she might regret. "Then Dende will jump after her and bring her back safely," she said as she led the way to the kitchen and helped Paige to sit at the table. "And my girls get all the nutrition they need, Piccolo makes sure of it. They don't eat vegetarian all the time, but Dende and Rose are vegetarian and I'm not very hungry, so that's what lunch is going to be today."

Karen huffed slightly, "Well, whatever you want to do, dear. They're your children. I just hope you're making the right decisions for them. I just worry about them. That's all."

Rose fixed plates for everyone and set them on the table. "Jenny's a very good mother," she said gently. "Believe me. I've seen bad parents day in and day out at my work. She does an excellent job of raising her girls. Piccolo, too." She helped Alice into her booster seat at the table and ran her fingers affectionately through the little namek's pale hair. "And Dende would never let anything bad happen to his little shadow." She set a plate in front of Jenny and gave her an understanding look. "It's okay if you don't want to eat it. I'm still not a very good cook," she said quietly.

Jenny chuckled, "You are getting better, but don't be offended if I can't get much down. Your cooking isn't the reason I can't eat." She looked down at the steaming plate of the skillet vegetables, wishing that her stomach would growl in hunger, but a small wave of nausea washed over her instead.

Kacie frowned down at her food, wanting to speak up and say that she and mom didn't travel this far to have some pathetic helping of vegetarian fajitas. She wanted a steak, something that was more substantial than this. "You are really living the life aren't you, sis?"

"That's not very much to eat," Karen said as she looked at the small portion on Jenny's plate. "Jenny, you're not trying to diet while you're on chemo, are you? You're too skinny now as it is. That's not healthy for you. You should try to eat more, keep up your strength so you can be a good mom to your girls. They need you."

Jenny shook her head, wanting to bang her head on the table. "No, I'm not trying to diet. I just had chemo the other day and it's hard for me to keep anything down after the sessions. Why waste perfectly good food when I'm just going to throw it back up?"

Karen made a face. "Don't talk about that at the dinner table," she scolded. "You'll ruin everyone's appetite if you talk about that."

Rose had to turn away, pretending to mess with something in the sink for a moment. Good gods, no wonder Jenny moved to the other side of the world. These women were insufferable. Didn't they understand what Jenny was going through? She silently prayed that their visit would be short. As in, within the day. She forced a smile on her face and turned around to them again. "So how long are you able to visit?" she asked politely.

Kacie sighed heavily as she poked at her food with a fork, "Mom wants to stay for a few weeks, just so we can 'help' Jenny through the chemo, you know. However long that takes." She looked over at her sister, "Stop being so dramatic and eat up! There's no point in putting on a show for us, we can see right through it."

Jenny sighed, feeling an unease rising up in her as she nibbled at her food, "I'm not putting on a show. Why would I joke about this? I can't eat because I'm so nauseated from the chemotherapy." Her stomach gurgled at her as if trying to reiterate her point. She put a hand to her mouth and pushed back from the table, dashing for the restroom.

Dende could hear the commotion and the rise of emotions were high on both sides. The negativity he could feel from Jenny's mother and sister was nearly palpable. Did they really not trust their daughter at all? He shook his head and continued walking around the edge of the Lookout, afraid that if he got involved, the earth would suffer for it.

Rose sighed and picked up Jenny's plate to put in the refrigerator just in case her appetite returned later. There had to be something Jenny could eat. Maybe she needed to go through a cookbook with Dende and find something a little milder for Jenny's stomach. "You know," she said as she turned towards the table again, "your sister really is trying to do as much as she can. This isn't easy on her at all. Perhaps you could be a little more understanding of her situation, Kacie."

Kacie rolled her eyes. "No, she's fine. She's just milking the situation to get sympathy," she said as she finally pushed her half eaten plate away from her and looked at the little green girls who had cleaned their plates. "She's always done it to get what she wants. I mean, she's been on chemo how long now and she's still not used to it? Seems fishy if you ask me." She leaned on her hand and looked at her mother, hoping that they wouldn't have to stay up there in the middle of nowhere while they visited her "sick" sister.

Rose grabbed up a clean washrag and wiped Paige's and Alice's faces before she sent them out to play. With an irritated huff, she threw the cloth into the sink. "I don't think anyone ever 'gets used' to chemo. It's extremely invasive and it's hard on anyone who has to go through it," she said firmly as she began to wash the dishes. "And I've known Jenny for some time now. I've never known her to actively look for sympathy. Quite the opposite, to be honest. She usually shoulders more than she should."

Kacie snorted and crossed her arms leaning back, "Well, that's the first I'm hearing about it. Look at you, she's got you cooking, washing dishes, taking care of her children." She shot a look around the Lookout, noticing her sister's husband had disappeared as well. "Yeah, that's typical. I'm sorry you seem to have been drawn into her little ploy."

"Maybe Jenny really isn't feeling well, dear," Karen said, trying to pacify her daughter. "We don't know just yet. We just got here. It could be that she really doesn't feel well. Don't be so judgmental. Remember, 'judge not, lest ye be judged'," she recited. " I think what she needs is an old fashioned home cooked meal to make her feel better."

Rose closed her eyes, feeling a muscle tic in her jaw. If it was that simple, didn't they think that she and the others would've taken care of it already?! She scrubbed harder at the glass in her hand, grinding her teeth. Jenny was one of the most independent people she knew. She knew how hard it was for her sister-in-law to ask and accept help from others. And yet here they were, acting like she was playing a victim.

She was so angry, she thought she could spit nails. The next second, the glass in her hand shattered, she'd gripped it so hard, and she hissed in pain as it sliced through her palm. "Dammit," she whimpered and turned on the faucet to rinse away the soap. She pulled the shard of glass from her hand and wrapped it in a towel. "Excuse me," she said hastily to Jenny's mother and sister as she headed straight for Dende.

Dende turned to his wife as she neared him, his hands already glowing a soft golden light as he took her injured hand and soothed away the cut. "Trying to pull a Goku on me, hmm?" he teased softly, watching carefully as the flesh knit back together. "I know it is part of my job to respect all living creatures, but I believe these two are trying my patience. They cannot stay here. I fear for the earth if they do. Perhaps we do not have any free rooms, yes?"

Rose was surprised at Dende's willingness to lie. And she was sorely tempted to go along with it. "I don't know," she muttered as she looked down at her hand, heaving a sigh of relief as it healed. "Thank you, my love," she said softly and curled her fingers, grateful that the stinging sensation was gone. "How can they be so cruel to her? Questioning her illness, criticizing her parenting skills. That was just a downright insult what they said about Alice falling over the edge. Even with as clumsy as I am, I've never fallen! And if someone ever did, you could save them. They're acting like they understand all of this when in reality they're completely clueless."

Dende reached up and cupped his mate's cheek. "That, my dear, is what most of humanity already thinks of themselves. It is just the way of things. Perhaps Jenny's past life is what they are going off of, but that woman is long since gone and so much has changed. They have not bothered to keep up, to know the real sister we love so dearly."

Rose looked down at her freshly healed hand again and shook her head sharply. "They don't deserve to know her. She's too good for them," she said fiercely.

He sighed and rubbed at his face, "I am not sure what to do. It would probably be in their best interests to seek lodging elsewhere. While I will not harm them, I fear my brother and Paige just might. Paige really has been spending too much time with Vegeta. Gives her just the worst ideas."

She looked up and met her mate's dark, understanding eyes. "Let Paige at them. I wouldn't stop her. Serves them right for being rude like that. Let her do that Final whatever-it-is." She waved her hand around as she spoke, then looked back down at the tile, a frown still on her face.

"Paige, don't," Piccolo growled in a low, warning tone. He knew his daughter had heard Rose's words and was no doubt planning some sort of attack on her aunt and grandmother. He crossed the Lookout to his brother and Rose. "I agree that they should stay somewhere else. Jenny doesn't need to be around them any more than the bare minimum. I'm not sure what to think of Karen just yet, but Kacie is quickly becoming a thorn in my side."

"That's probably the nicest way you could've phrased that, Piccolo," Rose said as she looked up at the taller namek. She usually wasn't this protective of their family; she trusted Piccolo to keep them all safe. But there was something in her that just longed to march back into the kitchen and really give those two women a piece of her mind. She really couldn't stand a parent who mistreated their child. And now it seemed it didn't matter what the age of that child was. "I am just never going to understand people. If I had a daughter who was sick and the other was saying things like that…" She trailed off and shook her head again.

Dende wrapped his arms around Rose. "I think we have had a daughter who was sick like that, but we were both too caring enough to warrant that." He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I need to finish my rounds. There is still half a day left, but it feels like an eternity now."

Rose frowned, but nodded. "Of course, my love," she said softly. She looked back to her piano once again. "Perhaps some soothing music will calm everyone's emotions. I don't know what else to do." She pressed a kiss to his cheek before she turned and went to her piano, hoping that the soft melody would ease the tempers flaring all around her.

"I'll leave you to it then," Piccolo said to Dende and went back inside. Jenny had stopped being sick it seemed, but she was still in the bathroom. He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. "You can't hide in there forever, you know. They'll come looking for you eventually."

Jenny managed a weak laugh before she pried herself off of the cool tiled floor and went to open the door. There was a peace between them now, something that hadn't been there before. An understanding that they loved each other no matter what happened. She leaned her head against his chest, drawing comfort from his powerful form a moment before she leaned back and looked up at him, smiling faintly at the way his antennae twitched in the air. "I hope we can make it through their visit. Maybe if I act like I'm well, they'll leave. Chances are though, mother will want to stay until my next chemo treatment in two weeks." She felt sick even thinking about it. She wished the medicine was stronger, or that it would actually work, but she might as well have been eating M&Ms.

Piccolo gave a long sigh through his nose as he wrapped his arms around his wife. "I'm not sure what to think of your mother just yet," he admitted. "But don't hold me accountable if your sister gets too close to the edge and accidentally… _slips_." An amused chuckle escaped his throat as a short daydream filled his mind, one in which he picked Kacie up by her hair and flung her over the edge of the Lookout. He gave another sigh and leaned down to rest his forehead against Jenny's. "I'm going to Hell."

Jenny laughed and nodded, "I'll drive the bus."


	15. Whips and Chains Excite Me

Vegeta sighed as he walked down the hallway of Capsule Corp, still sweaty and slightly out of breath from his training session. He frowned at the control panel in his hand. He'd broken it. Again. Bulma was going to kill him. He hadn't meant to break it, but his patience was running thin and his temper was flaring. It had been several weeks since Jenny had gone for that chemo, whatever it was, and she still hadn't returned for their training sessions. She hadn't come by to see him, she hadn't called, she wouldn't even answer the phone when he had tried to call her! A growl escaped his throat as he thought about it. That wasn't like her and he didn't understand what on earth could have possibly been keeping her away.

He steeled himself before he opened the door to Bulma's lab. He found her working away as usual and he stepped up behind her to place a hand on her shoulder, conveniently brushing his thumb over her mark, hoping to warm her up to him a bit before he presented the broken panel. "Busy?" he asked.

"What did you break this time?" She sighed and looked over her shoulder at him, a knowing look in her eyes. She laughed at the surprised look on his face, "Oh come on, I don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure this one out. It's the middle of the day, Vegeta. Normally you'd be in the gravity room training until it's dinner. You touched my mark which you only do when I'm working and you need something or we are about to have sex." She paused and tilted her head, "Are we?"

She laughed at the guilty look on his face and shook her head. "Damn." She looked down at the control panel and her eyes widened and she snatched it away, "Not again! Vegeta! You broke the same thing four days ago! What the hell are you doing in there?"

Vegeta fought the urge to cringe. He really had to find a better way to announce this sort of thing to her. He gave her a devilish look instead. "We could have sex," he said suggestively, but huffed in irritation when her expression clearly said she was not in the mood now. "It's not my damn fault!" he said defensively. "You'd think after all this time, you'd figure out how to make it so I can't destroy the thing! Piece of junk," he muttered and leaned back against a desk, crossing his arms over his chest.

Bulma huffed and moved over to a repair station, "I do make it so you can't destroy it; you just keep surpassing my expectations of you, Prince." She pried open the panel and winced as the smell of burning electronics and smoke reached her nose. "Oh we are going to have sex for this later, but you aren't going to like it," she said as she sighed and reached for a soldering tool. "What's eating you? You've been like this for weeks and broken five control panels, the gravity drive, and the coffee machine."

"That coffee machine had it comin'," he muttered before he looked over at his wife. Did she really not know what was bothering him? "Where the hell has Jennifer been?" he suddenly asked, his irritation at the situation finally getting the best of him. "She had that surgery and the namek healed her afterwards. I know she's done that chemo-whatever. Why has she not returned? I see no reason why she hasn't been keeping up with her training."

Bulma paused in her work, looking over at him a moment before she put her tools down and turned towards him. "Chemo is probably why she's not around. It's very hard on a person's body. The doctors are flooding her body with chemicals to kill off the cancer cells, but those aren't the only things effecting her. You should go see her, she probably would enjoy the company. If she doesn't feel well enough to get out and come see us that's the next best thing, right?"

Vegeta didn't understand. He knew that chemotherapy was supposed to be unpleasant, he'd gathered that much from the way everyone else spoke about it. But could it have really been that hard? "Bulma, that was several weeks ago. You can't expect me to believe that she still feels ill from that treatment. I thought this was over and done with. Surgery, take the chemo, and done." His tail flipped around in an irritated sort of way. "What else is there? This doesn't make any sense to me. I've never known Jennifer to be lazy or avoid her training."

She had to remind herself that Vegeta was different than other people, thought differently. It broke her heart to think that. She walked closer to him and laid a hand on his arm, "Vegeta, I'm sure that if you got this disease, if you could at all, that's how you would be with it. I have no doubt you would knock it out in one go. It's not like that for humans. The surgery took out most of the cancer, the chemotherapy is more than just a one-time thing. It's twice a month for her. Just when her body has recovered from the last treatment, it starts all over again for her."

"But she's not human, she's a Sai-" he cut himself short. No matter how he saw Jennifer in his eyes, the truth of the matter was she was still human. He growled low in his throat and pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. "This is ridiculous. I've never heard of such a long recovery time." He dropped his hand and met Bulma's eyes with a fierce glare. "Don't these stupid earthling doctors have a better way to deal with this disease? Asinine backwater planet," he grumbled. "And that's still no excuse. You can't tell me that this treatment has rendered her incapable of using a damn phone."

Bulma pressed her lips together, thinking for a moment. "Maybe not, but you know how she is. She holds you and your opinion fairly high. Chances are she doesn't want to disappoint you, or hear the disappointment in your voice when she tells you she's not ready to come back to train just yet. Would you?"

"Would I what? Be disappointed?" he countered, thinking it over for a moment. Truth be told, he was disappointed. Disappointed in the doctors, in this treatment, in fate for allowing this to happen. But most of all, disappointed that she didn't have the courage to face him no matter how sick she was. He didn't understand her need to hide away from him if she really was that sick. "Yes, I am disappointed," he finally answered. "I'll never understand any of you. Especially women," he added, narrowing his eyes slightly at his wife.

Bulma shrugged her shoulders, "We are strange creatures, I will give you that. Don't you ever remember a time with your father, where you did something you knew wouldn't meet up to his expectations of you, but it was too late to go back and change what had already been done?"

Vegeta shrugged. He couldn't recall any specific incident off the top of his head, but he supposed there had to have been one at some point in time. "It's still no excuse," he grumbled. He heaved a sigh and stood up a bit straighter. "I suppose she'll be around again whenever she feels like it." He tipped his head back slightly to look down at his wife, "Now are you going to fix that panel for me or not, woman? I've got far too much energy pent up and I can't use it if that gravity room isn't fixed. Unless you have another suggestion."

Bulma chuckled and grinned at him. Perhaps if she took his mind off of things, she could make him less inclined to blow things up. She would have to talk to Catie and see if she could go and get Jenny for a visit. She could only imagine what her daughter looked like, "I have a few things in mind, but like I said, you aren't going to like them." She said as she crooked her finger at him as she left the lab, "I'm thinking that whip needs to be dusted off."

Vegeta's eyebrows raised as he fell into step behind his mate. "Oh is that so?" he asked, a teasing tone to his voice. His length sprang to attention at the prospect of a long afternoon with his wife in the bedroom. His eyes roamed over her as she walked, the sway of her hips, the scent of her perfume that lingered. "You walk too slow," he growled and rushed up behind her to throw her over his shoulder.

Bulma flailed for a moment until she was somewhat comfortable on his shoulder, the hard muscle digging into her stomach. "Hey! I wasn't kidding about earlier. We do this my way as punishment for breaking my stuff again. Bad Saiyans need to be punished," she said as she reached to his neck and circled around the mating mark there, "You trust me?"

A shiver raced down his spine and his erection pressed against the front of his jeans even more as she touched his mark. He climbed the stairs and slapped a hand to her ass. He fought to control his breathing as his mind wandered over all the things she could do to him. He kicked open the bedroom door before he playfully swung her from his shoulder and onto the bed. He leaned over her, staring intensely into her eyes. "Of course I trust you."

Bulma felt a thrill of excitement run through her body at his words, making her ache for him. She sat up, catching his lips in a fierce kiss, their tongues dueling for superiority. She moaned against him, grinding her hips up against his erection. "Safe word," she gasped out, "Pick a safe word."

Vegeta cocked an eyebrow. So it was going to be that sort of an afternoon. He hated when he had to pick the "safe word." His mind flew through an assortment of different words, all of which sounded silly to him. He kissed back at her, nipping at her lips. "No safe word today," he breathed. "I trust you. I can take whatever you have in mind. You're in control." He ran his strong hands over her curves, pressing himself against her core. The heat of her body made him groan low in his throat as he tugged aside the neck of her blouse and sealed his lips around the mark on her neck. His cock throbbed as he thrust his hips against hers, aching to be released from the restrictive denim.

Bulma moaned against him; she knew he could take it. She sat up then, pushing him back onto the bed and climbed off before heading to her dresser. She had to dig down under a few things to find what she wanted and she tucked it under her arm before she went to the bathroom, looking over her shoulder with a smirk on her face as she looked at her Prince reclining on the bed. Hair disheveled, obvious erection straining against his pants, "Don't get too comfortable. I'll just be a hot minute."

Vegeta gave a nod and watched her as she retreated to the bathroom. A nervousness and excitement coursed through him as he wondered what exactly she was going to dream up. He shifted uncomfortably on the bed and ran his hand over the front of his pants, hissing at his own touch. Gods, he hoped she would hurry up. He didn't know how much longer he could wait for her.

She changed into the incredibly tight leather outfit that left little to the imagination. Her breasts were bared to the world while the leather straps under them pushed them up. Her crotch was exposed and leather pants accentuated in a unique crisscross pattern wove down to the high heels she wore. She put on her reddest lipstick she could find and picked up the riding crop she had stowed away and remembered she had the little vibrating egg in the bedside table with lube. She shudder at the thought of what she was about to do, her center already getting wet at that simple thought. She slicked back her hair into simple ponytail, leaving her mating mark completely unobstructed. Confident she was ready, she pushed the bathroom door open, steeling her expression as her eyes came to rest on her mate, "Strip."

Vegeta's breath caught in his throat at the sight of his mate. The shiny black leather fit her figure perfectly, revealing the best parts of her body to him. A smirk pulled at his lips as he stood up, "As you wish, my queen." He slowly peeled off his dark red tank, keeping his eyes locked on the gorgeous woman before him. His mouth had run dry, wondering what she had planned for him. He pulled off his pants, his length hard and aching as he stood naked before her, his eyes roaming over her body. "Now what?" he asked, trying to mask the excitement in his voice.

Bulma smirked at him, walking around him while she drew the riding crop over his flesh. She took a moment, tracing the muscles as she circled him, before she delivered a sharp blow to his tight ass and watched as his tail twitched at the contact and she traced the end of the crop against his tail, watching as it curled. "You'll speak when I tell you to," she said in a cool voice that even surprised herself, gods she was getting off on this. She drew back and gave another sharp blow watching as his skin bloomed red and faded, "Well my prince. My king. Kneel for your queen."

Vegeta clenched his jaw shut at her command, the sharp slap of pain jolting through his system, setting his nerves on end in the most delicious way. By the gods, he was going to enjoy this. What was it about pain that felt so good? It didn't make sense, but then again, nothing ever made much sense in Vegeta's life. His cock was hard from the two sharp slaps of the crop to his ass. He got to his knees, his shoulders still squared as he stared straight ahead, watching the crop in his peripheral vision. He wanted it. He wanted to take whatever Bulma could give him. It was her turn to be in charge for once.

Her heart was pounding at the obedience he showed her. How much trust did he place in her hand with this? She could see how hard he was, his tail flickering back and forth in the way she knew he was sexually excited. She grinned and turned, fetching the vibrator and lube, setting them on the bed behind her before she turned back to her mate, lifting her leg and placing it in the middle of his back, "I changed my mind, hands and knees, prince." She pushed, grinning at the sharp indent that her shoes made in his skin. She could see his cock, dangling heavily between his legs from this and she removed her leg, reaching down and stroking the flesh there as if she was trying to milk a cow. "I knew it. You love this don't you; you love me taking control, don't you?" She stood up and drew back the crop, laying into his tight ass with almost perfect precision, watching as harsh, red lines appeared on his skin. She grinned when she saw his cock drip.

He half-growled, half-whimpered when her crop made contact with his skin once again. Her hand had felt so warm as it stroked his cock. It was driving him mad to not have her hand or her mouth upon him in that moment. He felt rather vulnerable in this position with his hands on the floor, giving her access to any part of him that she wanted. His tail curled in anticipation, moving almost as if it had a mind of its own. Vegeta swallowed harshly, remembering she had asked a question. "Yes," he answered in a rough whisper. He craved her touch, whether it was soft or harsh. He didn't care much in that moment, as long as she was touching his body. "Please..."

Bulma paused in her strikes, reaching out and running her hand over the fresh marks, shuddering at the heat they gave off. She knelt down behind him, using her crop to tease the tip of his cock, smearing the precum around the head before trailing back and teasing his testicles, heavy between his legs. She smirked and lightly started smacking between both, the bloated red shaft and his balls. She reveled in the way he tried to pull away at first, "Stay put and take it, Prince." She smacked him a little harder, "Mmm, you need a collar and a leash."

'_Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods.'_ Vegeta's face screwed up as he willed his body to stay in one place. It was hard not to squirm away from her. The crop slapping his most sensitive areas made him cry out, unable to silence himself as the pain shot through him, then somehow melted into pleasure, making his cock strain as he grew even harder. Holy fuck, that felt good. He wanted more. He could take whatever she gave him, just like she said. A collar and leash? "Whatever you decide, my queen," he answered, forcing his body to remain still so she could slap at his cock and balls as much as she wanted.

She snorted, seeing his cock straining, more precum dribbling down onto the floor and a brilliant idea came into her mind. She paused her swings to lean back, listening to his cries, gods that was intoxicating. She schooled her face, but was unable to control her voice, her lust dripping into her words, "Such a bad boy you are, look at the mess you've made on the floor. She threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him forward and turned him around to show him the puddle of precum settling on the floor. She shoved his face towards it, "Shame on you."

She went over to the bed, grabbing up the little egg and the lube. Coating the toy liberally, she grabbed up her crop and walked behind Vegeta, his ass up in the air. She used the crop, pressing one cheek aside, revealing the puckered flesh within. "Bad princes must be punished," she said, dropping the crop and reaching down with her hand, spreading him open. She teased the entrance to his body for a moment before she pushed the vibrator deep inside of him, as deeply as she could manage before she let his cheeks close. She stood up, picking up her crop and the remote control for the little egg.

He tensed as he felt Bulma press something into his body; he hadn't been expecting that at all. "Woman! What are you-" he started to bark, but the next second the little egg inside him began to vibrate and Vegeta found himself speechless. She had used the toy on his back when he still had a scar there instead of his tail, and that had been mind-blowing. But this toy inside him was a totally new sensation. It made his arms shake and a cold sweat break out over his body, his toes curling. "Oh fuck," he gasped as his tail writhed on the floor behind him, curling in on itself once again.

Bulma's eyes narrowed when he tried to talk back to her, "What was that? You want a higher setting?" She clicked it up a few more places, watching him squirm. She smirked and reached out and grasped his tail, slowly squeezing, tighter and tighter until she saw a shiver work its way through his body and she gave a slight tug on the appendage. She could see he was trembling, powerless to do anything but take the little egg vibrating deeply within him. Holding his tail tight, she reached around between his legs, feeling his heavy cock and ball sac, weighing the soft flesh in her hand. "Hmmmm I almost forgot what pulling this tail does. I could bring you to the brink and you wouldn't be able to orgasm like this, would you?"

It was heaven and hell at the same time. The egg vibrating against his prostate brought him so much unimaginable pleasure, but the thought of teetering on that edge, unable to come, unable to move, was infuriating. He tried to thrust against her hand, but found himself powerless to do anything except to lay there and pant like some bitch in heat. Her hand was soft and warm as it curled around his balls, teasing them as she kept a tight grip on his tail. He wanted to cry out, to beg her not to do this, but all he managed was a small grunt as his cock twitched. And even as much as he hated it, he loved it at the same time. Seeing his mate be so forceful with him, taking complete control of his body; there was something incredibly erotic about it. He found himself wanting to feel the sting of her crop or her hand on him as she held his tail, the little egg still vibrating inside. He would be truly powerless to stop her or to writhe away from whatever punishment she wanted to inflict on his sensitive, vulnerable flesh.

It was almost as if she could sense his wishes, some of them. She let go of his hefty length and stood up, still lightly tugging on his tail, picking up her crop. She lifted his tail out of the way. Pausing to click the vibrator up to maximum and drew back the crop and struck him again, the thin leather whistling in the air before the resounding slap of skin met her ears. She did it several more times until his backside was bright red. She paused a moment to tease his opening with her crop, pushing against it before letting it drop down to his length and began smacking it with force.

Vegeta's eyes rolled in his head, his ass stinging from the assault of her crop. But it was the harsh, heavy-handed strikes to his cock that had him panting even heavier, his cock swelling up. He could've come already if it hadn't been for her hand on his tail. And now, every smack just seemed to increase his need for release. It was blissful torture. He could feel tears prickling at the corners of his eyes as she abused his member, making the flesh turn an angry shade of red. Gods, he loved this. And he loved her even more. Exploring their sexuality together like this was incredibly intimate to him, even if the act itself seemed harsh. He gulped for air, wishing desperately that he could spill his seed onto the floor or, even better, into his mate. But not so much as a drop of precum was able to escape as long as she pulled his tail like that.

Bulma finally slowed to a stop, her own core was dripping wet from the excitement. She could hardly take her gaze off of her mate's cock, angry red. Her eyes nearly rolled in the back of her head as she thought of how hot that would be to sink down onto, how much it would burn her. She kept a firm grip on his tail as she walked around in front of him, using the crop to slide under his chin and lift his face to hers. "Mmm, you've been so good. What would you like for a reward, my prince?" she purred. She gave his tail a squeeze, "Mmm, you could eat me out. Or perhaps you want to come? I could ride you. There are just so many different positions we need to try."

It took all of his will to move his jaw, forcing the words from his mouth. "Please... my queen... ride me..." He looked up at her, his eyes intense as he stared into her beautiful blue eyes. "Don't... release... my tail... until... you're satisfied." He knew that the second she released her grip on him, he was going to come; probably the hardest he'd ever come in his life. And he didn't want to disappoint her by coming before she'd had the chance to achieve her own orgasm. He would be more than happy to eat her out afterwards, if that was what she wanted. But all he wanted right that moment was the feel of her soft, wet heat to soothe his aching, stinging cock.

Bulma smiled at him, gods this was a rush. She loved him talking to her like that, straining against everything to tell her his wishes. She was dripping wet, her thighs slick with her essence. She got a firm grip on his tail before she helped him to get up before she pushed him onto the bed, his feet touching the floor. She climbed over him, squeezing his tail and cock at the same time. He was so engorged, she had no doubt he would come when she let go. She carefully lowered herself over him, feeling tight against the bulging flesh of her mate. She moaned loudly as she sank down on him. She could feel the vibrator still going full force deeply within him. She began riding him for all she was worth, rocking on him, making the bed bounce and springs squeak, driving that thick member deeper into her. It didn't take long for her orgasm to reach her peak and just as her eyes rolled in the back of her head. As she became a vice on her prince's cock, she let go of his tail.

Vegeta roared as the paralysis wore off and he grabbed Bulma's hips, slamming her down on him as the most intense orgasm of his life ripped through his body. It didn't seem to end as his cock pumped torrents of blistering hot cum deep into her body. He was shaking, holding her there, forcing her to take every last drop. His eyes rolled in his head again, another feral roar ripped from his throat, and suddenly he felt completely boneless. He sank back into the bed, his entire being going limp from pleasure. "Holy... fuck..." he panted, his eyes unable to focus on anything as he laid there.

Bulma's orgasm rippled through her and she shivered, pressing on her lower abdomen, feeling the cum in her body shifting around her mate's cock. Still burning hot and amazing. She grinned down at him, squeezing her muscles around him before she pushed out so she could feel his cum trickle out of her, coating his cock as she slid off of his member. She turned around and sat on his chest a moment before she spread her legs and held herself over his face before she lowered herself to his mouth. "You must be hungry after an orgasm like that," she purred before she looked at the delicious feast before her. She leaned down and sucked at the side of his cock, cleaning him, nibbling at the large pulsing vein at the side. She grasped the base of the cock as she licked away his cum, squeezing lightly. She settled on his chest, holding his cock with one hand while she used her pinky to tease the slit at the tip.

Vegeta hungrily sealed his lips around her dripping wet sex, drinking down the delicious mix of his cum and her essence. He moaned low in his throat as he slid his tongue into her, trying to coax more of it out of her body. He tensed as she sucked at his cock; he was still hard and sensitive. She gripped him just perfectly as she sucked and nibbled on him, inflaming his desire again. Vegeta's eyes went wide when he felt her playing with the slit of his cock. That was an entirely new sensation. He didn't know what to think. It was intense, making him grow harder than before, and even though the foreign sensation was hard to describe, he found himself wanting more. He pulled back from his wife's body, panting, "More." He captured her clit in his teeth, rapidly flicking the tip of his tongue over it and he slid two fingers into her body, wiggling them deeply inside her.

Bulma leaned down, slurping at his cock a moment more before she moved her hand up from the base, squeezing at the tip. She watched as the little slit opened more to her and she teased it again, speaking huskily, "You want me to finger fuck you like this?" She pushed her pinky over the opening, her nail slipping inside. She pushed harder, watching as the tip of her finger slipped inside, "Gods, do you know how hot this is? Watching you take this so easily, the way your flesh feels around my finger." She released his cock, reaching down and to his puckered entrance, giving a tug on the vibrator, watching with fascination as his flesh gave up the metallic object. She was high on the control she had over him, that he had over her, and how it was all holding together.

Vegeta was nearly screaming in pleasure as Bulma's slender finger worked its way into his cock. He wanted to thrust his hips up, but didn't dare for fear of impaling his dick on her finger too fast. He was teetering on the edge of bliss and pain, his cock being fucked from the inside out. His free hand reached down between them to grab her breast, twisting and rolling her nipple as he sucked harder at her body. His tail curled and uncurled, his entire being consumed with pure pleasure. He felt Bulma push in a little further, stretching his cock around her finger. Part of him wanted to scream at her to stop, and the other part wanted to beg her to fuck his cock like that until he couldn't stand it anymore.

Bulma moaned and leaned down, sealing her lips around the side of his cock and sucking, moving up and nibbling at their connection. She could feel him absolutely trembling beneath her. She grinned, thinking she would have to look into a sounding rod for this later to play with him properly. She removed her finger and swallowed him whole, taking him all the way to the hilt, moaning around him, trying to think of what other delicious torture she could put him through.

Vegeta nearly sobbed in relief and thrust up harshly into his mate's mouth. He could feel his orgasm starting to build, the inside of his cock throbbing from where she had pressed her finger into him. By the gods, he enjoyed that more than he should have. His cock was swelling in her throat as she sucked at him, her mouth hot and wet on his length. He came with a shout, pouring more and more of his essence down her throat as he continued to suck at her body, his fingers working rapidly in and out of her core.

Bulma eagerly sucked down every last drop of her husband, moaning loudly and bucking up against him with a shout as her own orgasm snuck up on her and she came, her essence pouring like a steady stream into his eager mouth. She moaned as she let him slip from her mouth with a pop, panting heavily as she came down from her second orgasm, her body feeling boneless.

Vegeta's head fell back, his breathing ragged as he let his fingers slip from her body. "Good gods, woman," he growled. "What are you doing to me?" He hadn't expected her to be quite so enthusiastic when he'd agreed to let her have control in the bedroom. He ran a rough hand up and down her spine as he stared up at the ceiling, his breathing easing finally. "You never cease to surprise me."

Bulma chuckled, moving around until she was chest to chest with him, smiling down at him, "Mmm, you provide the best inspiration. You seemed to enjoy it, so I went with it. That was fun, one of the hottest things we've ever done." She reached down and gently caressed the mark on his shoulder before she leaned down and kissed at it gently. She couldn't believe the connection between them, the companionship, the trust. She was beyond in love with her mate, but there was no stronger word to describe what she felt.

Vegeta didn't even try to fight the purr that rumbled in his throat as Bulma kissed at his mark. He stared at her, running the backs of his fingers through her hair. He was tired of worrying, of feeling stressed out about the wellbeing of his family. Perhaps a couple years of peace wouldn't be such a bad thing. Vegeta wrapped his fingers around the back of Bulma's neck and pulled her down so he could place a long, firm kiss to her forehead before he tucked her under his chin and just held her, thinking about how fortunate he was to have such an incredible mate.

Burma felt a lump in her throat at the tender gesture. Without much thought, she gently pulled away, just enough she could peel off the suddenly stifling leather that hugged her body. Once free of it, she reached down to steady her mate's length and softly moaned as she sank down on it. He wasn't fully hard, but that was not her intent. She sighed happily, seated on him fully and she leaned back down, tucking her head under his chin. This felt right. Skin to skin, equals.

Vegeta's eyes fell closed as their bodies joined once more with nothing between them. He suddenly wrapped both of his arms firmly around her, holding her to him, and let out a long, contented sigh. Gods, he could lay there and hold her like this forever.


	16. Mother, Mother

Goku never really got out of the house much. He was content to just stay at home, work in the garden, train, go to the parties he was told to go to. This was different. This was a shopping mall full of people while he followed Sabriena around to various shops, carrying her bags for her. His stomach growled loudly, despite the crowd of people around them talking. "Are we almost finished? I'm starving." He looked at the bundle of bags on his arm, barely even feeling them, "What are all these for again?"

"We're almost done," Sabriena laughed as she entered another store. "Goten needs clothes to keep at the cabin, plus I had to get him those surprises, I HAD to get new stuff for Lindsey's babies cause they'll be here soon, and now I just have to pick up a few things for Jenny." She stopped to look over a display of scarves and a small frown appeared on her face. It made her sad that Jenny would probably need them soon, but she wanted to make sure that her friend had nothing less than the best. "Dammit," she growled, "I can't remember Jenny's favorite color. I guess I could just get a bunch of them and she can wear whatever she feels like for the day."

Goku pressed his lips together as he looked at the scarves that Sabriena browsed through. It wasn't that he had a problem remembering, it was just that he couldn't understand someone needing so many. "Why does she need those scarves again? Did the surgery do something to her?" he asked as he pulled back. He hated hospitals and this was probably one more reason to stay away from them. "Or is she gonna get cold? She lost some weight the last time I saw her when I took her to Gramma's."

"No, honey," Sabriena answered as she chose several scarves and draped them over her arm before she turned to look at her husband. "It's the chemotherapy she's on. Her hair will start to fall out because of it. This way, she can cover her head. Women take a lot of pride in the way their hair looks. If hers starts to look thin or, you know, she completely loses it, then she can still make herself feel pretty."

Goku blinked down at the scarves and nodded, "I think I get it." He reached out and felt one, the soft silk a pleasant feeling against his fingers. "It's like she will have hair, but not?" He frowned, "I can't imagine what this must be like for her."

"I can't imagine it either," Sabriena said as she led the way to the counter and paid for the scarves. She ran her fingers through her own hair, frowning as she thought about what it would be like. "Gods, I wish this had never happened." She thanked the cashier before she turned to Goku. "So, you wanna run by the Lookout and give these to her and then I can make you a big lunch for being such an awesome husband?" she asked with a big smile and batted her eyes.

Goku smiled at her, holding onto her carefully, "That sounds like a plan to me. You know I never turn down good food. I just wish… you know, Jenny wasn't feeling so bad. I wish this wasn't happening to her, too." He took the bags from her and leaned down, kissing her forehead.

Sabriena let her eyes fall closed as Goku kissed her and the next thing she knew, they were standing on the Lookout. "Sneaky," she teased as he grinned cheekily. She looked around, searching for Jenny, but didn't see her anywhere. Instead, her eyes landed on a familiar car that was parked on the pristine tile. "Oh good gods, no," she breathed. She knew that car. She dramatically twitched her eye as a grimace split her face. She heard Karen's voice call out to her and she turned, forcing the grimace into a smile as she spoke through clenched teeth to Goku, "It's Jenny's mom."

"I haven't seen you in forever!" Karen exclaimed in a tone that sounded far too cheery and didn't fool Sabriena for one minute. Jenny's mom had never approved of her and had always tried to make not-so-subtle suggestions about Sabriena's choice in clothing, manners, and anything else she could think of to criticize. She wrapped her arms around Sabriena in a hug before she pulled back to look her over. "Jenny will be happy to see you. She's been so reclusive since we got here. I just don't understand why she's being so mopey. Oh here," she added and reached over to adjust Sabriena's shirt. "There. That's better. You don't want to walk around showing off your breasts. That's vulgar," she said in a hushed tone.

Goku blinked at the strange woman. "But, I like her shirt like that," he said in a confused tone as he looked down at Sabriena, gently tugging at her shirt. He looked back to the woman and smiled as he recognized her. "Hi Mrs. Wick! How have you been?" he asked happily as he adjusted Sabriena's shirt back to the way it was.

Karen blinked at him for a moment before realization dawned on her face. "Oh! I'm fine," she answered in a pleasant tone. She felt her face burn for just a moment as she remembered the only time she'd ever met Goku. That had been a horrible night; he and his friend had come to her house to rescue her and Kacie from her own husband. She blinked again and settled her expression into one of polite interest as she looked at Sabriena again. "So what brings you here?"

"I bought some scarves for Jenny," Sabriena answered as she reached into the bag and pulled one out to show her.

"What does she need those for?" Karen asked as she wrinkled her nose slightly.

Kacie came out of the Lookout, hearing the new voices. She rolled her eyes, "Oh it's you. Come on Mom, Sabriena brought them so she and Jenny can go clubbing. You know. Have sex with random men and all that."

Goku felt his hackles rise and he moved to step in front of his mate. "Hey, she bought them for your sister for her chemo treatment, not clubbing. I wouldn't let my wife out for sex with random men. Not that she would do that anyway."

Jenny's sister crossed her arms, a smirk on her face, "Oh, spending your money on something other than drugs and washed up men addicted to cocaine? That's a change."

Fury burned behind Sabriena's eyes. "Oh, so you're gonna throw Tumbler in my face now, huh?" she snapped. "At least I had sense enough to get away from him. And furthermore, I never was into drugs and he spent his OWN money on that shit! What about you? You still dating that married senior citizen I heard you were fucking?!" Her energy crackled around her and it took every ounce of will she had to not attack Kacie.

"Girls! Watch your language!" Karen snapped, her hand over her heart as if she thought God might strike her dead just from hearing such profanity. "Now really, that's no way for ladies to speak to one another!"

Kacie snorted and growled back at Sabriena, "You want to talk about senior citizens?" She looked pointedly at Goku. "Besides, at least he is a man who knows how to treat me like a woman," she said smugly.

Dende couldn't take it any more. Ever since Jenny's family had come to the Lookout, he had been suffering. It was hard to focus when he had opposing forces going at it, muddling up his clarity. He sighed and walked over, "Please, guests, I must ask that you keep quiet, my work is delicate and you are interfering with it."

Sabriena barely registered that Dende had spoken. She roughly shoved her shopping bag into his hands. "Here, Dende, hold my shit. I'mma pop this bitch," she growled as she balled up her fist and drew back to swing at Kacie. She gave a startled cry as Piccolo grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"Enough," he growled in a low tone as he stared down at Sabriena. While he would have loved nothing more than to turn her loose on Jenny's sister, he knew Dende couldn't handle the anger and violence around him as he tried to work. Still holding Sabriena's wrist, he looked to Goku. "Why don't you take your wife and go see Jenny? She's resting in our room. She'll be happy to see you both," he suggested.

Goku blinked a moment, trying to register what happened before he nodded at the Namek and took Sabriena's bags from Dende before he steered his wife away from the chaos that would most likely ensue if they stayed. "I didn't think Jenny's mom and sister were that bad," he said as he glanced over his shoulder at them.

"They're pretty good at being fake when they want to be," she answered as she led the way to Jenny's room. "Piccolo should've let me hit her," she muttered darkly as she knocked on the door and opened it after Jenny mumbled for them to come in.

Sabriena rushed to Jenny's side when she saw her. "Hey, bitchcakes," she said as she hugged her friend. She wanted to cringe when she felt how boney Jenny was, but she forced herself not to. Jenny didn't need anyone trying to withdraw from her now. She squeezed her a little tighter before she gently pulled back and smiled. "Look at you. Kickin' that cancer's ass and takin' names."

Goku closed the door behind him and walked over to Jenny, trying to keep the shock off of his face as he set Sabriena's bag down at the foot of the bed before he sat down on her other side, leaning down to hug her tightly. She was unnaturally thin and it scared him. He could probably snap her in two if he wasn't careful. She hadn't been nearly this thin when he took her to see Gramma. "Hey there," he said, finally pulling back and cupping her face in his hand.

Jenny managed a smile for them, leaning her head into Goku's hand, feeling as if she could just let him hold her up. "Hey guys," she said before she looked at Sabriena, managing a sad laugh, "I'm not sure who is kicking whose ass, but I want my money back."

Sabriena gave a small laugh. It broke her heart to see Jenny like this, but she refused to show it. Jenny didn't need a bunch of people being all sad and shit around her. That wouldn't solve anything and it certainly wouldn't make her feel better. "I know you've been doing a lot of that chemo lately," Sabriena said and reached into the shopping bag to pull out the beautiful scarves. "So I thought I'd pick up something for you. I doubted anyone else thought of it."

Jenny's breath caught when she saw the scarves. It brought tears to her eyes and she lifted a hand to her hair. Sliding it through her short locks, she gasped out as a few strands came away in her fingers and she looked down at them sadly. "Kacie said I looked horrible, that I should try taking a shower every day and use special shampoo," she said miserably.

"Yeah, well, your sister needs to be kicked in the twat," Sabriena grumbled as she brushed the strands of hair from Jenny's fingers. She drew a deep breath, calming her temper, and smiled at Jenny again. "Don't listen to her. You're better than she is and she knows it. That's why she tries so hard to bring you down."

Jenny managed a laugh and moved to sit up straighter. She smiled when Goku helped her sit up against the headboard. "I think I want to keep him. He's quite handy. Can hold my head up, prop me up against things." She winked at the Saiyan to show she was kidding before she reached for the pile of scarves Sabriena had brought her. They nearly took her breath away, they were so beautiful and made out of the finest silk and cashmere she had ever felt. "Sabriena, this is way too much," she breathed as she let the fine fabric slip through her fingers.

"Shut up," Sabriena snapped quickly. "I don't have any bills anyway and Daddy would be happy to know I spent money on you." She glanced at Goku before she spoke to Jenny again, "You just want him to take you to see Gramma again. He does come in pretty handy though. I'll let you borrow him." She put a hand up to her mouth and whispered loudly, "He's pretty damn good in bed, too, if you need taking care of." She couldn't help the snicker that escaped her as she teased her friend.

Jenny laughed at that, "If I felt good enough for that. Piccolo satisfies me in bed quite well, thank you." She looked at Goku, smirking at the blush on his face, "Although, I would be up for an orgy after I kick cancer's ass. Look me up then. Mmm, can you just imagine? Though, I don't know if you and Piccolo would get along. Think of all the angry sex you could have though," she teased.

Goku blinked at Jenny, "An orgy?" He looked over at Sabriena. "Is that a food?" he asked but looked back at Jenny when she said Piccolo and Sabriena could have angry sex. "Wait a minute, she's my mate! She can't have sex with Piccolo!"

Jenny chuckled, "Goku, dear, we're joking. But just imagine it, those two having sex? Good lord, Dende would have a field day trying to keep the earth together." She chuckled and leaned her head back against the headboard. "Mmm, but imaging you, Goku and Tien having sex. Now that has merit. Have you ever thought about letting people watch?"

Sabriena stopped pretending to gag and stared at Jenny. "Okay, it's official. All those meds have made you completely loopy," she said. She shook her head and closed her eyes, fighting the urge to laugh even more. "Oh my god, can you imagine Tien's reaction if I told him about this conversation? He'd die." She gave in to her giggles and fell back on the bed, holding her ribs as she laughed. "I'm sorry, Jen, but there is not enough money in this world that could make me have sex with your husband. Not happening." She sobered a bit and reached for Goku's hand, still giggling a little. "Don't take us so literally, honey. We're just being silly. You know you and Tien are the only men for me."

Goku blinked down at Sabriena a moment before he looked back up at Jenny, the innocent expression on his face (as Sabriena called it). He wasn't sure what was serious and what was a joke now. "Is she being serious?"

Jenny could only laugh at the adorable look on his face. "I think she is, it's hard to be sure." She chuckled and leaned back, making herself comfortable. "I'm glad you guys came to visit. I wish I had the courage to have more visitors." She glanced over at her phone on the nightstand. The little light on it blinked at her, telling her she had missed calls. "Dad's been calling, but I..." She looked away, "I'm afraid to answer. He wants to know that I'm one hundred percent better, but I'm not. I don't know how he will react when he finds out I'm still sick."

"You'd think he'd figure it out," Sabriena muttered, moving to lay her head in Goku's lap as she looked at Jenny. "I mean, doesn't everyone understand how chemo works? It's a bitch. Then again, I don't think he pays much attention to human stuff, ya know." She shrugged and reached for Jenny's hand. "You could just answer him and tell him that you're not feeling well. What's he gonna do? Ground you? Talking to him on the phone won't kill you. And if he does get pissed, well, at least you're out of the line of fire. Let him take it out on Catie or Trunks instead."

Jenny chuckled and let her fingers curl around Sabriena's. She liked having her and Goku there more than she thought she would. The heavy weight of them both seemed to ground her in a way she didn't think possible. "It's Vegeta. What do you think he would do?" She honestly hadn't thought about it that much, "but you know he's like the first person I've ever really considered a father to me. I don't want to disappoint him. I don't want him to think he is wasting his time."

Goku reached out, brushing away the tears that slipped down her cheek. He let his other hand curl around Sabriena protectively, holding her shoulder securely. "He would know he's not wasting his time, Jenny. He doesn't understand these human things like I can, you know? He wasn't raised as an earthling like I was. He doesn't understand unless he sees that. He's a good man. If you explain it to him, invite him here, show him, you'll be surprised at how understanding he can be. You are thinking he'll be like Michael, but he won't. Hasn't he taught you that?"

Jenny bit her lip, thinking over Goku's words, "Maybe… But I just, I don't want to lose him. If he sees me like this, won't he decide that I'm not worth his time? That I'm not Saiyan material? That I am not fit to be his daughter?" Tears gathered in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. "I can't take that right now. It would break me."

"Then don't," Sabriena said. "If you don't have the strength to deal with him right now, don't do it. He's not going anywhere. You can wait until you're feeling better before you go see him. And if he asks why you stayed away, tell him. Tell him you didn't want him to see you like that. Maybe that alone will sink in to him how bad you've been feeling." She squeezed her hand, giving Jenny an understanding look. "You don't have to put up with anyone you don't feel like fucking with right now."

"For once, I agree with Sabriena," came Piccolo's rich voice from the doorway. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him as he went to stand next to the bed. "The last thing you need right now is stress. And your mother and sister aren't helping matters. You don't need to focus on what everyone else thinks of you. You need to focus on getting better." He gently rubbed at her shoulder, a concerned look on his face, before he turned his attention to Sabriena. "And just for your information, no one could pay me enough to touch you, either."

Sabriena threw her head back against Goku's leg and laughed loudly. "See? We agree on more than you care to admit! Don't lie, Piccolo. You think this is sexy." And to emphasize her point, she squirmed seductively on the bed and blew kisses at him.

"Now I'm nauseous," he muttered and looked away from her. "Goku, control your mate."

Goku blinked up at his friend, his fingers running through Sabriena's hair carefully. "You think I can control her?" He looked down at her, a knowing smile on his face. "Behave," he said teasingly.

"NO," she answered firmly and turned her face to nip at his leg. She giggled when he jumped. "I can't help it. Jenny's got me thinking all sorts of naughty things now." She wagged her eyebrows suggestively at him as Piccolo groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Let me throw her over the edge. Just once," Piccolo murmured to his wife.

Jenny chuckled, leaning into her husband's touch before she tugged him onto the bed with her friends. "You can throw her or my sister off of the Lookout, not both. And remember, Sabriena knows how to fly, but my sister doesn't."

"Ah, it's lose-lose," he muttered and leaned back against the headboard. "Sabriena flies and Dende would never let me hear the end of it if I threw Kacie." He couldn't stop the smile that pulled at the corner of his lips. It was nice to hear his wife laughing again, to listen to her joke with her friends. He looked lovingly down at her, rubbing gently at her back. "You feeling any better?"

She leaned against him, nodding. "Since these two goofballs showed up. It's good to have company. See all the pretty things Sabriena brought me?" she said, fingering the scarves, her eyes tearing up as she looked down at them. They were lovely gifts, but to think that she would soon need them was almost too much. But she appreciated her friend's thought. "Thank you, Sabriena."

"No problem, chickadee," Sabriena answered as she sat up. "I'mma use the bathroom and then we better head home. Tien's gonna think we're not coming back." She pressed a kiss to Jenny's forehead, then disappeared out the bedroom door to use the bathroom across the hall.

Karen poked her head in the opened door and smiled when she saw Jenny sitting up. "Good! You're up," she said as she walked in. "Kacie and I were thinking about going out to dinner. I was wondering if you wanted to come with us."

Goku watched as Jenny turned a shade of green he didn't think was possible. His own stomach growled at the idea of food, but from what he understood from chemo, food was probably the last thing on Jenny's mind. He looked over at the woman standing in the doorway, "I'm sorry to butt in, but I don't think she's in any condition to go out and eat. I had to help her sit up in bed; she's still suffering from her last chemo treatment."

Jenny pressed her lips together, reaching out and giving Goku's hand a squeeze before she looked back at her mother. "You go on with Kacie. I don't want to ruin a perfectly good dinner," she said, wanting very much in that moment to just crawl back under her covers. Wasn't there like a knock first sign or something? Her mother should know better.

Karen sighed and frowned as she walked closer to the bed. "Well I just thought that if you got some good food in you, you might feel better." She looked down at the pile of pretty scarves in Jenny's lap and picked one up. "Oh good heavens, you don't need ALL of these. Really, your hair looks fine to me. That Sabriena just likes to show off her money," she said as she shook her head disapprovingly.

Piccolo found Jenny's hand and squeezed it, biting his tongue. Literally. He tasted blood and relished the pain for a moment to keep himself from lashing out at her mother. There was plenty of good food to be had at the Lookout. Hell, Jenny would've cooked it herself if she was able. Good food wasn't the answer. Couldn't this woman understand that?

Jenny looked up at her mother, her hands squeezing Goku's and Piccolo's respectively. "Mom, any time I eat, I end up throwing it back up. Eating makes me feel worse, not better. If you can find something to make my nausea go away, give me back my energy, then I will be happy to try it, but I can't eat. It doesn't stay down. Eating from a restaurant isn't going to make a difference and it's just wasting money anyway. If I ask, Sabriena could cook us all a gourmet meal in seconds."

Karen continued to shake her head as she looked through the scarves. "Well, I just thought that if you got some protein, it might help. I'm not trying to tell you what to do, dear," she said, although her tone wasn't quite convincing enough. "You don't need Sabriena to cook for you. I can cook if you want something here at home." She looked at one of the price-tags on a scarf and she frowned even more. "Oh, that girl. What was she thinking? This is too much. I see she hasn't changed one bit."

Jenny winced as she felt Goku's hand tighten around her fingers and she pulled back from him, letting her hand drop on top of his. "Mom, stop it. She has changed. She has a family now, a son, her husbands. And you know her father passed away; she has no one else to dote on. Especially since she lives out in the woods now. No electricity, no TV, no more parties, so don't talk about her like that," she said, leaning back. This was starting to wear on her. Where Goku and Sabriena had been a breath of fresh air, her mother was a strain on her soul she couldn't take. It was killing her. It hurt her so much. She looked away, giving Goku's hand a squeeze and then Piccolo's, willing them to understand. "I'm tired. I want to sleep now."

Karen's eyes narrowed. Husbands? Her daughter must have misspoke. "Alright, dear," she sighed and dropped the scarf back in Jenny's lap. "If you're sure you don't want to come with us, I guess Kacie and I will go by ourselves."

Sabriena sauntered back into the room and flopped on the bed next to Goku, tilting her head curiously at the expression on his face. He looked livid. She couldn't understand what could have happened in the few short minutes she was in the bathroom, but decided not to ask in front of Jenny's mom. "Here, let me put those away for you," she offered and gathered up the scarves, folding them one by one.

"Better get going," Piccolo said tersely to Karen. "Don't want to keep Kacie waiting."

"Okay," Karen sighed again and kissed Jenny's cheek. She paused and smiled at Sabriena, "The scarves were a lovely gift. That was so sweet of you to think of Jenny like that." And with that, she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Goku stared after the closed door, trying to get control of his breathing. His jaw worked back and forth as he tried to figure out what to say. How often did Jenny have to put up with that? He didn't know what to think. Was that the same woman who had been hiding in a bathroom, crying and begging to be saved from a drunken man with a baseball bat? "You know, you can come stay at the cabin if you want," he said before he looked at Jenny.

Jenny blinked at Goku, sorely tempted to take him up on his offer. "They'd just follow me, or nag Piccolo to tell them where I went. It's enough trouble as is, I don't want them putting a strain on Dende. We're so close to having peace." She closed her eyes and carefully moved herself to lay down on the bed, accepting Goku's help when he pulled back the covers and tucked her in.

Sabriena got up and tugged on Goku's hand. "If you guys need anything, all you have to do is ask," she said to Piccolo, who nodded. She twisted her fingers into Goku's and gave him a small smile. "Let's go home. The husband probably misses us."

Goku nodded and stood up, looking at Jenny and then to Piccolo, "We'll see you around. I'll try to bring Goten by soon. Check in on her and make sure you all are set." At Piccolo's nod, he wrapped his arm around Sabriena and pressed his fingers to his forehead, taking them back home.

Jenny watched as they vanished from sight and she turned towards her husband, curling in on herself. "I don't want them here anymore," she said, feeling terrible for saying it, but it was the truth. "They make me hurt and I don't want them here."

Piccolo's heart sank. Jenny was finally feeling better for just a moment and then her mother had to step in and suck the life out of the room. He moved to lay down, facing her, and he cupped her cheek in his hand. "All you have to do is say the word and I'll get rid of them. Really, Jenny. This is our home. They have no right to be here, making you feel this way. I will tell them to leave if you want me to."

Jenny felt the tears gathering in her eyes, nuzzling her face into his hand. "Does it make me a bad person to say that I don't want them here? I don't. I don't want them here, Piccolo. Please… send them away. Blame me, whatever you want. I can't. I don't think I will be able to survive them after my next chemo treatment. They will walk all over me. I don't think I have the strength."

"It doesn't make you a bad person." He met her eyes evenly, drawing his thumb across her cheekbone. "Are you sure you want me to tell them to leave? Because I will do it without hesitation. If that's what you really want, I'll do it." He meant it, too. He hated seeing his wife so upset, to see the toll her family took on her. To be honest, after that incident with Michael, he thought that her ties to her family were pretty much severed. It surprised him that her mother and sister showed up at all. Well, it was more than obvious that Kacie had been forced into the situation somehow by their mother. But why Karen decided to show up was beyond him.

Jenny nodded, hiding her face in his shirt. She was a horrible person to say so, but it was the truth. "Please."

"Okay," he said softly as he pulled her against his chest. "I'll handle it. You don't have to worry about it anymore. I'm not going to let them hurt you again. You're going through enough as it is right now. Let me protect you." He tipped her face up to him and pressed his lips to hers, slipping his tongue into her mouth to kiss her deeply. He pulled back, letting his fangs scrape lightly over her bottom lip as he met her watery eyes. "Rest now. It'll be dealt with shortly." He settled himself more in the bed and let her rest her head on his chest as he began to formulate a plan, trying to think of the nicest way to tell her mother and sister to get the hell out.


	17. Vulgar

Sabriena blinked around in the late afternoon sunlight as she and Goku reappeared in front of the cabin. The rhythmic _thwack_ of Tien's axe met their ears as he chopped wood. The weather was already starting to turn cool this far north and he was rushing to add more firewood to their stockpile.

He paused and smiled at them, wiping his brow with the back of his wrist. "Hey guys," he smiled as he tossed the axe aside and pulled his gloves off. "I missed you both." He walked over, but paused and looked at them curiously. Neither one of them looked very happy. "What's wrong?"

"We stopped by to see Jenny. She's not looking very well," Sabriena answered, frowning down at her shoes. She could still see the anger in Goku's eyes, the tension in his posture. "Her mom and sister are visiting and it stresses her out. They're completely clueless and rude." She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Her mother even nagged me about the way I'm dressed. She criticized me because the neckline on my shirt is too low."

"Ah, don't pay any attention to it. You look beautiful," Tien said dismissively and gave her a kiss. He glanced her over; her shirt didn't seem inappropriate to him. He turned his attention to his husband and reached out to wrap his fingers around the back of Goku's neck. "Hey. Is there something else bothering you? You look upset."

Goku wanted to growl, scream, something. He could only replay Karen's actions that day. "It's Jenny's mother. She called Sabriena vulgar for wearing her shirt too low. Said she hadn't changed at all when she saw what she bought for Jenny. Kacie accused her of being with us, old men, or something like that. Her mother really set me off though, saying that Sabriena hadn't changed a bit, wanting to show off her money." He growled and turned away, punching at the air. "IT ISN'T TRUE!" he shouted and watched as the whiplash from his punch knocked over a tree.

Tien's eyes went wide at Goku's outburst and an anger seeped into him. Some people just would never see Sabriena for who she really was. Where she was just genuinely trying to be generous, others thought she was flaunting her money. It didn't matter what they did, someone was always going to judge them for their relationship. Whether it was based on age or gender, someone was always going to be there to turn up their nose at them. "I'm surprised Piccolo allows that in his home," Tien muttered darkly.

"Goku, it's okay," Sabriena said softly. "People just… remember the old me. I made mistakes and did stupid things and, well, it's just never going to go away. All that matters to me is that you and Tien see that I changed." She shrugged, knowing that it didn't matter how much she tried to prove herself, Jenny's family would never change their opinions of her or Jenny. She gingerly reached for his hand, squeezing it. "It doesn't matter."

Goku looked back at Sabriena, lowering his hands to his sides, "It should matter. People don't see what Tien and I have seen. You've changed, you've worked so hard to change. It's an insult if other people don't notice the hard work you've done." He sighed and turned back to them, lowering his head, "I just, I don't know. Someone needed to defend you. I should have spoken up."

She gave him a warm smile and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. "Shush. Seeing you like this proves to me that you see it." She touched his chin, lifting his face to look at her. "You know, it's kinda sexy when you're so protective of me." She pressed a kiss to his lips, soft at first until she tilted her head, slipping her tongue into his mouth to kiss him furiously. She didn't know why she was suddenly so turned on, other than the fact that Goku's defensiveness spoke volumes as to how much he loved her.

Goku couldn't help himself. His mates did things to him that he could scarcely understand. The first true mates he had ever had, they set his blood on fire in a way he couldn't describe. He grasped at Sabriena, his fists bunching in the back of her shirt as he pulled her close and kissed her soundly. She was sweeter than any wine and made him ache so deliciously.

Without breaking the kiss with Goku, Sabriena reached back and grabbed the front of Tien's shirt, pulling him closer to them. He knew he should protest, there was work to be done, but like Goku, he couldn't resist them either. He leaned down to cover the mark on Sabriena's neck with his mouth, tracing the raised design of the trinity symbol with his tongue. His length sprang to attention as a moan escaped her throat and he lifted her easily between them, letting her wrap her legs around Goku's waist as he pressed himself up against her.

Sabriena broke the kiss with Goku to peel her shirt off and cast it aside. "How's this for vulgar?" she purred and grabbed the back of his head to press his face between her breasts. She rocked her hips against him, her center starting to throb with need for him and Tien. "I want you both right here, right now. In broad daylight. Fuck what anyone thinks of us."

Goku moaned against her, burying his face between the soft valley of her breasts. They had been together countless times, but a thrill shot through him every time she kissed them outside. In the hot tub, in the garden, down by the river. It was a glorious sensation for him since he had been denied any type of sexual freedom in his first marriage. Where sex was always to be at night, after dark, in the dark. And once you climaxed it was over, no seconds, no thirds. Looking back on it now, he could honestly say he hated it. Every moment of it. Seeing how it was supposed to be, he almost regretted how great it could have been. But then he would have missed out on the greatest loves of his life and he would die for them now. He wouldn't change a moment of it. He would go through it all again if it meant that he would end up with Tien and Sabriena for eternity. He only wished that Chichi would see the error of her ways, that life could be so much better if she just let go of the vices that controlled her life. She would be so much happier.

Sabriena rocked her hips again, rubbing herself against her husbands' erections that pressed against her. She unwound her legs from around Goku's waist and wiggled to be let down. A mischievous smirk split her face and she lowered herself to her knees between them. Her fingers worked over the belts around their waists, untying them, and she freed both of their hard lengths as a longing moan escaped her throat. She wrapped her hands around each of them and stroked them firmly as she captured the head of Goku's cock in her mouth, sucking it for a moment before she turned and gave Tien the same attention.

"Oh gods!" Tien gasped as one hand went to Sabriena's hair and the other found Goku's shoulder, grasping onto him for support. He thought his knees might give out from her sudden assault. He carefully stepped a little closer to Goku, panting as he watched her mouth consume him, her hand working over Goku's cock. "That looks so good," he rumbled as he thrust gently into her mouth. He hissed when she pulled away and took Goku into her mouth again, still stroking Tien's length.

Goku panted and whined against her as he stepped closer to Tien, turning towards him and catching his chin with a free hand, turning his face towards him before he leaned in and claimed a kiss. His hips thrust forward, into Sabriena's mouth before she let go and swallowed Tien. It was hot, he could feel her cheek stroking his flesh as she bobbed next to his own hardness. There was a thrill being out in the open, exposed where anyone could stop by and see them like this. He imagined Karen coming by to see them like this, hardening at the thought of her being appalled at their obvious pleasure and love of one another.

Sabriena pulled back from Tien, stroking her hands over their cocks for a moment as she admired her husbands. Gods, it turned her on to see them kiss like that, moaning against each other's lips. She angled them just right, the heads of their cocks touching, and descended on them again. Her tongue flicked and wiggled between them and what she couldn't take into her mouth, she made up for with her hands.

A surprised cry escaped Tien, muffled by his kiss with Goku. His length throbbed and twitched, a bit of precum splashing from the tip. Sabriena's mouth always felt amazing on him, but to feel that and Goku's cock against his own at the same time was nothing short of incredible. He tangled his fingers into her blonde hair, pulling it gently as he moaned. His other hand dropped from Goku's shoulder to his ass and squeezed it roughly. "More," he breathed against Goku's lips before he kissed him again, letting his tongue dance against his husband's.

Goku could barely stand it, his husband and his wife paying due attention to him as he weakly tried to give back to them. A resounding thought in his head told him that it was alright, that they would have an eternity together to cherish each other. That this was going to be a bond that never ended between them. His heart soared at the thought, that these two amazing beings would be with him until the end of time itself. A paradise with them both. It brought tears to his eyes as he thought about it and thrust into Sabriena's mouth. Between Tien's own cock and her hot mouth, he was surprised he could control himself.

Sabriena moaned at the taste of her husbands and shifted as her core throbbed for them. She was so wet, aching for their touch. She sucked harder at them as she shimmied out of her jeans, then grasped them again, stroking them as she let them slip from her lips. "I want you," she breathed, "I want you both so much. I'm so wet for you."

Tien offered her a hand and pulled her to stand, admiring her for a moment as she stood naked between them. He threaded his fingers into her hair again and bent her over, pressing his cock against her lips. He groaned as she swallowed him down and wiggled her hips at Goku. "Oh, gods, yesssss," he purred, thrusting his hips against her face.

Goku groaned, unable to contain his excitement at the situation and he grabbed her hips to hold her steady. It didn't matter, of course. Her hips wiggled as if of their own accord and he thrust his aching cock deep inside of her in an effort to stop her tantalizing movement.

Sabriena screamed around Tien's cock, the vibration from her throat making him hiss in pleasure. She loved the way Goku's cock filled her, stretched her, making her ache with pleasure. She bucked back against him, trying to take his cock even deeper inside her. A wanton moan reverberated in her throat as his hard, thick shaft pressed against a sensitive spot deep within her. She grabbed Tien's hips and went after him with renewed enthusiasm, pleasuring him as much as Goku pleasured her. Gods, how she loved this. She raked her nails down his ass, leaving red welts in their wake.

Tien groaned as she dug her nails into his flesh and thrust a little harder into her mouth. She was so hot and wet around his throbbing length that stars popped in his vision. He ran a hand down the smooth skin of her back before he slid his hand under her chest to pinch at a nipple, smirking when she gave a squeak of pleasure. His mouth watered as he watched Goku's cock slide in and out of her and he had to bite his lip. He flicked his finger rapidly over Sabriena's nipple, then slid his hand down her back again, reaching over to where his mates bodies were joined. "Mmmmm," he moaned as Goku's shaft brushed against his fingertips as the Saiyan pumped his cock into their wife's body. He spread his fingers in a V, opening up Sabriena's lips for Goku, and a shiver ran down his spine as Goku's cock slipped between his fingers.

Goku's eyes widened at the new sensation, slipping between his husband's fingers into their wife's body. He tilted his head back, drinking in the midday sunlight as it cascaded over their bodies, warming them more than what their fevered copulation did. These were his mates. HIS. No matter what anyone said about them. He would defend them and their honor no matter what the cost.

Sabriena cried out at the feel of Tien's hand on her, spreading her wide to their husband. It made her feel a bit vulnerable, but she loved it. It only inflamed her desire more for them, to let them use her body for their pleasure like that. Something in her heart had melted when Goku became so protective of her, like he wanted to save her from every possible hurt that he could, even the hateful words of a woman he barely knew. She was safe with her husbands. No matter what they encountered, she knew they would protect her. And she would willingly do the same for them. She sucked harder at Tien as her body began to shake, her muscles clenching around Goku. She screamed out as the orgasm hit her hard and fast, her knees nearly giving out on her as she came.

Sabriena's pleasure amplified Tien's, making his cock swell in her mouth, his balls drawing up tightly against his body. "Oh gods, nnngh, I'm so close," he warned as he quickened his pace. His jaw hung slightly open as he panted, staring down at her for a moment before he locked eyes with Goku. "Come with me?" he asked only a moment before he roared out as his own orgasm overwhelmed him, his cock pouring down Sabriena's throat as she eagerly gulped down the hot liquid offered by his body. "Oh shit," he gasped as she continued to suck at him, coaxing a second orgasm from his body, leaving him breathless.

Goku cried out, locking his gaze with Tien's as his husband came. It was erotic in a way he never knew. He watched as his skin flush, a rosy color spreading along his chest, his throat as he came. The way his muscles flexed and his hips jerked as he orgasmed. Goku couldn't hold back, his grip tightened on Sabriena as he roared his release, unable to control himself as he came deeply inside of her, his cock pressed tightly against her cervix.

A second wave of ecstasy washed over Sabriena as the head of Goku's cock unleashed a torrent of hot cum over the sensitive spot and she screamed out as Tien's cock slipped from her mouth. It left her whimpering as she hung limply from Goku's grasp. "Oh gods," she nearly sobbed, "That was so good." She contracted her muscles weakly around Goku's length a couple times as she let him hold her by her hips. "Oh wow, baby," she whispered. Drawing a deep breath, she found her footing and stood up, letting him slip from her body. "That was amazing. I think you both earned a good meal for that one."

Goku's stomach growled loudly at the thought of a hot meal, though looking at his two mates like this. Both disheveled from their bout of lovemaking, His essence slipping down Sabriena's legs, Tien's own cum a slight trickle down his cock making it glisten. He suddenly had a thought of sitting by the firepit, Sabriena impaled on his cock while she stirred a pot of soup. "Too bad we can't do two things at once," he lamented.

Sabriena cocked an eyebrow at him. "Why can't we? You two want to help me cook dinner? We can do it together." She bent to pick up her clothes, then paused and kicked them aside. "You two come with me. We'll mess with the clothes later."

"You want us to help you cook? Naked?" he asked in surprise. Sabriena had let them help her fix dinner before, but never the three of them together and certainly not in the nude. He found himself smirking at the prospect. "Sure, sounds good to me," he said with a shrug before he looked at Goku. "You want to?"

Goku couldn't stop himself from smiling widely. "You always told me that clothes are like an afterthought for me," he teased. He loved this about his mates, to be so open and playful about their sexuality together. To do things their way and not caring if society accepted it or not. He walked forward, sliding an arm around Sabriena's shoulders, unable to stop the shiver that worked its way through him at the soft bare skin. He reached over and kissed Tien before letting his hand drop so he could pinch at his husband's ass.

Tien jumped at the sharp pinch and slapped Goku's chest before he wrapped his arm around his mate's shoulders and walked them towards the house. "This is going to end up in a naked food-fight, I can see it already," he muttered as they entered the cabin and went into the kitchen.

"Not in my new kitchen unless the two of you plan on scrubbing it clean," Sabriena warned. She squeezed her arm around Goku's waist before she pulled away from him, trailing her fingers teasingly over his scar as she went to the stove. She giggled at his reaction before she tapped a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "Now what should we make? I don't know about you two, but I'm starving."

Goku's stomach growled again and he held a hand over it. "We haven't had pasta in a while. We could make that?" he suggested, his eyes looking around for the pasta machine he had given her way back when. He paused and frowned slightly when he remembered that it had burned in the fire. But didn't she buy a new one? The thought of painting his mates' bodies with the sauce and then feasting on them was suddenly very appealing to him and he looked at them both, imagining it as he licked his lips in anticipation.

"Mmmmm, that sounds good," Sabriena smiled and pulled out the bag of flour and grabbed her basket of eggs. "Tien, get the pasta machine for me, would you?" She smiled as he found it on a shelf and attached it to the small work table that sat in the middle of the kitchen. She worked quickly, measuring out the right amount of flour before she pinched a bit of it and flicked it at Goku, giggling.

"Oh, here we go," Tien grumbled as he separated the eggs and added them to the flour for her. "Don't you dare," he warned as a mischievous look came over her face and she grabbed a bit more flour. "Sabriena, I mean it." His warnings fell on deaf ears, however, and he cringed as she threw it at him, leaving the white powder smudged across his cheek. "This is why I can never accomplish anything," he muttered as he began to knead the dough for her.

Goku snickered and dipped his fingers in the flour before he reached out and smeared a line across Sabriena's nose. "Hey! It's like the war paint." He smiled and drew more over her cheeks before he laughed and drew her into his arms and looked at Tien kneading the dough. He leaned down to Sabriena's ear. "He's such a stick in the mud," he said, winking at their husband.

Tien aimed a playful kick at Goku's shin as Sabriena laughed. She stuck her finger in the flour again and drew lines on Goku's face under his eyes. "Now you're ready for war," she snickered. She looked over at Tien, "I know. He's just a grumpy old man."

"I'll show you old," he growled and quickly grabbed them both up, showing his speed and that his age was not to be questioned. "The old man comments are getting, well, old," he grumbled as he tilted his head down to them, holding his hands away from Goku's back since his fingers were covered in dough. He smiled as he breathed in their scents, his heart warming for them all over again. "It doesn't matter how old I am. You two make me feel young," he admitted before he kissed both their cheeks and went back to the pasta dough.

Sabriena smiled at him before she looked at Goku. "You turn the handle for him on the machine, I'm gonna start the sauce," she instructed and slapped his ass as she went to the stove.

Goku chuckled and nodded, going over and helping Tien. "You know, I think I can get used to this 'peace' that Dende keeps talking about. It's going to be nice to just live my life with you both," he said as he turned the pasta machine handle, watching Sabriena starting the sauce. "I love you guys."

"We love you, too," Tien said as he carefully threaded the dough through the machine and leaned over to steal another kiss from his husband. He couldn't stop the shiver that ran down his back as their lips met. The butterflies in his stomach would never go away and he loved it. On a sudden impulse, he latched onto Goku's mark, sucking it, pressing his tongue against it for a moment. His own mark throbbed and sent another shiver down his spine. He pulled back with a groan and turned his attention back to the food they were preparing, a blush across his nose. "Sorry. Couldn't stop myself."

Goku couldn't stop the moan that worked its way out of his throat, his cock hardening again at his mate's fevered kiss. A drop of precum appeared at the tip and Goku had to work hard to control himself and not break the pasta machine. He stopped for a moment, going behind Tien and wrapped his arms around him. He slid his cock between the other man's legs, moaning at the hot flesh rubbing against his length before he leaned forward and sealed his lips around the mark on Tien's neck.

Tien braced himself against the table, his length springing to attention again. He pressed himself back against Goku as his mate's hard cock slid between his legs, brushing against his own. He suddenly ached to be filled by his husband and he groaned low in his throat as he leaned over the table a bit more. "Take me," he breathed, unable to stop himself as he spread his legs a bit. "I want you. Please, Goku."

Sabriena turned at Tien's words, her eyes going wide. They were never going to get supper ready if this kept up. But she didn't mind. Not one bit. She absentmindedly continued to stir the pot of sauce on the woodstove as she watched them, her mouth watering and her core throbbing for them both all over again. Without tearing her eyes from them, she lifted the wooden spoon to her lips and sucked a bit of the sauce from it, then returned it to the pot as if her arm was on autopilot. Her eyes roamed over them; talk about a feast.

Goku couldn't refuse his mate, not like this. He pulled back, a hand going to his cock to steady it, his other hand parted Tien's cheeks before he pushed forward, unable to stop the groan as he watched his husband's body swallow him up. He was hot, burning silk that engulfed his length as he seated himself fully inside of Tien's body. It was so perfect as he wrapped his arms around Tien, a hand going to the pasta machine as he began to turn the handle again. He bit at Tien's back as he thrust forward, slowly fucking him. "So good," he moaned.

Tien's knees shook as Goku's hard length speared him. He was barely able to thread the dough through the machine one last time as he thrust his hips back against his lover. "P-Pasta's done," he choked out to Sabriena. He let himself lay over the table chest-first in the flour that covered its surface. He gripped the edges of the table tightly, moaning as Goku thrust into him. His own cock was achingly hard, dripping a stream of precum to the floor beneath the table.

Sabriena gathered up the spaghetti and dropped it into a pot of boiling water on the stove before she grabbed her spoon and scooped up a big helping of the sauce. "I need a second opinion on how this tastes," she said as she went back to them and trailed the warm sauce up Tien's spine, making him hiss. "What do you think, Goku?"

Goku couldn't stop the moan of appreciation as Sabriena painted Tien's body with the brilliant red sauce and he leaned forward as he thrust into him to lick at the line. He went slow as to savor the flavors that burst across his tongue, moaning at the mixture of the delicious sauce and Tien's skin. He licked and sucked until his mate's back was clean before he pulled back and leaned over, catching Sabriena's lips in a passionate kiss. "A masterpiece," he purred at her, reaching out and dipping his finger in her spoon, before he smeared some over her nipples, "You should let Tien have a taste."

She gave him a wink and moved around the table, leaning over it so that her breasts were mere inches from Tien's face. "How about it, handsome? What do you think?" she asked. The question barely past her lips before Tien pulled her closer and suckled the sauce from her nipple, swirling his tongue over the taut flesh. Sabriena threw her head back and hissed in pleasure as his hot mouth devoured her. "Mmmm, I take it you approve." She giggled when all he did was nod and move to the other breast to pay it the same attention.

"Damn, that's good," Tien breathed when he finally released her and dropped the side of his face to the table. He watched her curiously as she sauntered around the table again, swinging her hips as she walked. He gave a cry as Goku thrust harder into him, pressing against his prostate, making his cock throb even more. He bit his lip as Sabriena came to a stop next to them and reached under the table to stroke his cock for him. "Gods, yesssssss," he breathed, his eyes falling closed as his mates attended to his body.

Sabriena smiled and gently placed her other hand on the small of Goku's back, working her fingertips into the sensitive tail scar she found there. "I love watching you two like this," she murmured, licking her lips as she watched Goku's cock slide in and out of Tien in a steady rhythm. "Gods, you both are so sexy."

Goku cried out as her slim fingers pressed deliciously into his scar and his thrusts sped up, his cock swelling at the pleasure that coursed through his body. "Yes! Right there, don't stop," he moaned out as he moved and gripped Tien's hips with both of his hands and started to pound into his husband. It didn't take much more before Goku roared out his climax, his cock pulsing in Tien's body, filling him with his seed. He kept going, wanting his mate to be completely sated before he stopped.

Tien cried out in pleasure as his mate's hot essence poured into him, washing over his prostate as Sabriena stroked his length. His cock jerked in her hand, spilling his own cum onto the floor as his eyes rolled back in his head. "Goku!" he shouted as he clenched down on his mate, his legs trembling as he came.

"There you go, baby," Sabriena purred at Tien as she leaned over and kissed him, squeezing his cock firmly from base to tip, milking out the last of his cum. She gave him a little smile before she turned to Goku and kissed him as well. "I think our dinner's just about ready," she said and went back to the stove to strain the pasta. She mixed it with the sauce and turned to them, giving them a smirk. "Ready to eat?" She carried the big pot over to the table and set it down before she fished a few pieces out with her fingers and draped them over her breasts. "Dinner's served."

Goku carefully pulled out of Tien with a slick pop, looking over at Sabriena as his mouth watered. He would let Tien have her this time, he thought to himself before he went to her and cupped one breast before he leaned over and seal his mouth around her sweet flesh before he slurped at the pasta. There was something about it, but this was the best pasta they had ever made. He pinched her nipple between his fingers, rolling the little hard nub before he took it into his mouth and teased it with his teeth.

Sabriena gasped in pleasure as Goku teased her flesh. "Mmmm, yes, baby," she purred, leaning her chest up against his face. She gave a startled cry as Tien suddenly scooped her up into his arms and laid her down on the table, a smirk on his lips.

He grabbed up the spoon and covered her in the pasta, watching as she moaned at the feel of the warm food covering her flesh. "Now that's better. I'm starvin', girl," he rumbled before he descended on her, nibbling at her flesh as he ate the food off of her skin. He reached for Goku, pulling him closer to share their "meal." He trailed his fingers up the inside of her thigh as he licked along her hip, the tips of his fingers teasing the entrance to her body.

Goku's stomach grumbled in appreciation of the offering and moved to her side, grasping her leg and spreading her wider for Tien as he feasted. He paused to dip his fingers inside of Sabriena, alongside Tien's before he went back to suck gently on her flesh. At this rate, they were going to need more pasta.

Sabriena's back arched off the table as Goku's strong fingers slid into her, wiggling against that spot that drove her wild, and she whimpered when he withdrew. "Tease!" she accused, her face flushing. Their mouths on her skin sent tremors through her body as they licked, sucked, and nibbled at her. "You're no better," she scolded Tien as his fingertips trailed lightly up and down the wet line of her nether lips.

He paused to slurp up a noodle before he spoke to her, "Oh, is this what you want?" He suddenly plunged two fingers into her tight body and rapidly thumbed her clit as he licked more of the sauce from her body. A wicked grin split his face as she cried out in bliss. He spooned more of the pasta over her body with his free hand before he lowered his face once again.

Goku was about as happy as a clam, licking the sauce and pasta off of her skin. His tongue dipped into her navel as he passed by, loving the way she squirmed under him. He was starving and he couldn't wait for a "proper" meal, but this was twice as good. Seeing both of his mates pleasured, fully sated was a huge turn on for him.

Sabriena writhed on the tabletop, reaching over her head to grip the edge as she lifted her hips against Tien's hand. "Right there! Right there, don't stop!" she begged, her face screwing up. Her breath caught in her throat as she went over the edge, clenching around Tien's fingers. She finally went boneless as she came down from her orgasm and gasped for air. She giggled and squirmed as they ate the last of the pasta from her torso. "Okay, now it tickles," she laughed.

Goku looked up as he slurped down the last strand of pasta on her body and leaned back. "It tickles?" he asked and reached up to cup her cheek, "Thanks for dinner, babe. This was amazing. More than amazing."

She leaned into his touch and smiled. "You're welcome," she answered softly before she forced herself to sit up. She couldn't help but to snicker at the mess they'd made in the kitchen, all of them covered in flour and spaghetti sauce. She looked into the big pot and grabbed it as she hopped off the table. "Let's finish this and then we'll think about getting cleaned up," she suggested as she carried it out to the dining table in the main room of the cabin.

Tien wiped at the sauce on his face, but all he succeeded in doing was smearing it even more. He caught sight of his reflection in the window and laughed as he grabbed some plates for them. "Come on, Goku, I know that was only an appetizer for you," he teased. He paused and kissed his husband quickly. "This was a brilliant idea. If this is the result, maybe you need to get pissed off more often," he said with a wink and led his husband to the table to finish their meal.

Goku laughed and leaned in, licking away the last remnants of pasta sauce on his face. "You were an amazing appetizer."


	18. Do You Believe in Life After Love?

Tora slammed down the kickstand on his motorcycle and killed the engine as he gazed up at the hospital before him. He didn't know if Eighteen would agree to this, she spent every waking moment at Marron's bedside. But he felt like she needed to get out, get away from that building for just a little bit and get some fresh air. The stress of the situation with her daughter was wearing on her. Being in that place day in and day out for over three months now wasn't good for her. She couldn't stop living just because Marron still wasn't awake.

His legs automatically carried him through the hallways as he thought over his plan. He knocked gently on Marron's door before he opened it and gave Eighteen a smile when he saw her there. "Hey," he said as he stepped inside. He gave a small sigh when he saw Marron still sleeping in the bed. "Still no changes, huh?"

Eighteen looked over to the door, giving the Saiyan a small smile. "No change yet, but I was reading that book you brought over. I'd like to think that she's listening." She rubbed her back, brushing the strands of hair off her face, "Make her wake up. Please. It's been too long. The doctors say if she doesn't wake up soon the chance of her waking up at all keeps diminishing."

Tora frowned at that. "I wish I could make her wake up," he said softly. He crouched down next to Eighteen's chair, meeting her sad blue eyes. "You know I would if I could." He ever so carefully reached out to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear and nearly sighed in relief when she didn't shy away from him. Their friendship was still rather new, she tolerated him more for sure, but there was still the occasional moment when he was afraid of being slapped. "You know, I was thinking about something. How about we get out of here for the afternoon? Marron's safe, the nurses will take care of her. You need to get out and get some fresh air. It would be good for you."

Eighteen looked at Tora, raising an eyebrow. "What? Out for an afternoon?" She looked worriedly at her daughter laying in the bed. The monitors beeped at a steady rate and she sighed sadly, "Well, that would be nice to get out and not eat hospital food for one day."

Tora couldn't stop the grin that split his face. "I packed a lunch," he said suggestively. At her skeptical look, he laughed. "Don't worry! I didn't do anything fancy. Just some sandwiches and stuff. How's a bike ride through the country sound? I went out to Tien's the other day; the trees are starting to turn. I think it'd be good for you." It was a perfect day for it. The sky was clear and the air was still warm with only a very slight chill to it. Fall was officially here and while Tora didn't care much for the cold weather, he did appreciate the beauty of the season. The Earth was still a strange place to him, but he was fascinated by the simplest things here such as the brilliant colors of the leaves on the trees when they turned. His home planet didn't have much in the way of seasons, staying mostly hot year-round.

Eighteen looked at him for a moment, not sure if she was believing what she was hearing. "You like to watch the trees turn? " She could barely even picture it, the big, stoic Saiyan, watching the trees turn to golds and reds, "I thought Saiyans didn't care for the colder weather?" She sat back and looked at her daughter as she thought a moment. If Marron was awake, she'd be insisting to go out on a picnic. "I suppose a little break wouldn't be too bad, just let me leave some instructions for the nurses," she said, leaning over her daughter and pressing a kiss to her forehead, "I'll be back baby."

Tora felt his heart leap when Eighteen agreed to go with him. To be honest, he thought it was going to take a lot more convincing than that. Maybe she didn't dislike him as much as he thought. A smile split his face as he watched her leave the room and he couldn't stop himself from raking his eyes over her slender form. He mentally smacked himself. They could barely call themselves friends, he highly doubted she would be interested in him like that. Still, was it wrong to appreciate her beauty? Her strength?

He sighed and moved to sit in the chair next to Marron's bed. "Hey, little one," he said in a soft voice as he leaned closer to the bed. He frowned sadly, wishing with every part of his being that she would wake up. He gently touched the top of her head, brushing a few strands of hair off of her face. "Wake up, Marron," he whispered to her. "Your mother misses you. She needs you. Wake up, baby, please." He gave a defeated sigh and sat back when she didn't respond. The door opened and he smiled at Eighteen as he got out of the chair. "Ready to go?"

Eighteen nodded and walked back over to the chair she had been sitting in, taking the purse there and slinging it over her shoulder before looking down at her little girl once more. "Yeah, I'm ready," she said, "Marron, Mommy loves you. You be on your best behavior until I get back. Okay baby?" She waited only a moment before she turned and walked out of the room, turning to wait for Tora. It would be good to get out, fresh air and some good food for once. "I hope you brought enough. I can put Saiyans to shame when I'm in the mood."

Tora leaned over and ran his hand through the little girl's hair one more time, staring fiercely at her as if he would will her to wake up. 'Please,' he thought, 'please, please, please wake up, Marron.' He closed his eyes for a moment, pushing down his frustration. "See you later, kid," he said softly and turned to follow Eighteen. "I've seen you eat before. I brought plenty," he assured her with a grin as he led her outside. He swung a long leg over the big bike and offered a hand to her to help her onto it. "I ain't gonna bite."

Eighteen gave him a skeptical look before she took his hand and let him help her get settle on the bike behind him. "Didn't they have any smaller models at the dealership? I think you could store an entire week's worth of emergency food in here, UNcapsulated." She sighed and accepted the helmet he gave her and strapped it on, lightly grabbing hold of his shoulders as she looked around, hoping the bike wouldn't fall over and they both would be crushed. She would hold on tighter, but she wasn't certain in that moment was would be appropriate.

She could have slapped herself as she thought about it, Krillin's voice seemed to take on some of her thoughts. She might as well just hold onto him securely rather than risk flying off and being smashed by the road or the passing cars. Eighteen moved her arms around his waist, and said what she would hope be in a joking tone, "Any jokes about this and I will kill you."

Tora's heart thudded in his chest as Eighteen's slender arms wrapped around his waist, her body pressed up against his back. He shot her a quick grin over his shoulder and wagged his eyebrows. "No promises," he laughed before he swung the bike out into traffic, heading for the highway. He wove in and out of traffic, impressed when he didn't hear her squeal or feel her flinch behind him. "Aww, you're no fun!" he teased. He toned it down once they made it to the city limit and settled back a bit to enjoy the drive.

"You forget the life we lead, it's going to take more than that to get to me," she said, looking around at the scenery as they drove away from the city. It surprised her the way he took them, taking the long route through the wooded areas so that she had a view of the leaves changing their colors. The earth had a rich scent to it, the hint of a cooler day yet to come, a promise that winter would be on its way. She sighed against Tora's back as she thought about how much Marron would love a drive like this. A little picnic with some of her stuffed toys. "You'll have to bring Marron with us next time."

Tora nodded. "I bet she would like this," he answered. He'd driven this route just a few days before, finding an out of the way little blacktop road through the country, thickly surrounded by the trees. He loved the twisting curves and sharp hills as he drove; it kept the ride more interesting. He couldn't stop the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth as he drank in his surroundings, the beautiful jeweled tones of the changing leaves. He hoped none of the guys found out about his fascination with fall. They'd tease him to no end for it. But it was nice to share that with Eighteen. He finally slowed the bike to a stop next to a large lake surrounded by the woods and turned off the engine. He pulled his helmet off and looked over his shoulder to shoot her a grin. "So what do you think?" he asked proudly, gesturing around at the scenery.

Eighteen finally let go of him and took off her helmet. It was a bit old fashioned to not fly anywhere, but it was good to slow down, especially after all that they had been through. She looked around, taking a deep breath as she inhaled the scent of pine, crisp water and the cool breeze that curled around them. It coaxed a few brilliantly colored leaves from the trees to land on the placid lake. "It's wonderful. How did you find out about this place? Saiyan trade secret?" she asked, her eyebrow raised.

He shrugged. "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill YOU," he joked as he carefully got off of the bike, making sure he didn't knock her off in the process. He reached into the saddlebags on the bike and withdrew the lunches he'd made and a blanket he'd managed to stuff in the bottom. "Hope you're hungry. I might've made more than I should have," he chuckled and led the way down closer to the edge of the lake before he spread out the blanket and flopped himself down. He reclined back and stretched his legs with a contented sigh. "I could hang out here all day." It was quiet and peaceful without the constant noise he was used to from the city. Something about it just seemed to calm him, to tone down his energy just a little bit. He grabbed one of the sub sandwiches he'd packed and unwrapped it. "Help yourself," he offered as he bit into it.

Eighteen moved to sit on the blanket, letting out a soft sigh as she did as she relaxed back and reached for one of the sandwiches. She felt a little guilty, coming out here to this peaceful place for lunch, while Marron was still back at the stuffy hospital. She could start to see why Goku despised them so. She took a bite, her eyes widening in surprise that it was actually really good. "You made these? Been taking cooking lessons from Sabriena?" She chuckled and tucked into her food. It was so peaceful out there, they were going to have to bring Marron there when she was all better.

He frowned at her. "It's not that hard to put together a sandwich," he muttered, giving her a mock pout at her surprise, but couldn't hold the expression for very long and ruined it by snickering. "Actually, I had to figure out how to make these for myself. I kept blowing all my money by going to those sandwich shops cause I couldn't get enough of them." He reached for another sandwich and quickly devoured it before grabbing up a third. He was ravenous all of a sudden. "Better eat up, sweetpea, before I finish it all off on my own."

Eighteen mockingly glared at him and fished out two more sandwiches and put them behind her, out of his reach. "I didn't think I'd see the day. A Saiyan who loves books, cooking to fend for himself, long bike rides to have picnics. You've really turned a leaf haven't you? Was this was you were thinking would happen, once you escaped from that planet?"

Tora was surprised at the personal question. He couldn't remember her ever asking him something about his life like that before. A bit of a blush touched his nose and cheekbones for just a second at her compliment, too. He leaned on one elbow, looking out at the lake for a moment. "No," he answered honestly. "I came here looking to fight. To conquer, take over the planet with the Atlantians. I was eager for it at first. They made it sound so appealing. Hell, anything would've been appealing at that point," he muttered, a dark look crossing his face. "Thirty something years stuck on that goddamn planet with nothing to do. No one to fight, except for sparring matches with my crew. It's no wonder they all went insane."

Eighteen shuddered at the thought of being stuck on that planet with her husband's murderers. She chewed thoughtfully for a moment, "It's a wonder you turned out the way you did, so different than them. You know, after you learned that you didn't have to follow someone else's orders." She thought back on her own past, how Dr. Gero had planned to use her and her brother as mindless slaves to kill Goku and rule the world. The only thing they wanted was their freedom and would fight for it.

"Ah, but that's just it. I WANTED to follow orders. I didn't want to be the one in charge anymore," he admitted. "Leadership of our crew was meant for Bardock, not me. He was the one who led our missions, who made sure we came home every time. Without him, I didn't know what to do. Not that we had much choice, but still. I remember after we took over that planet and killed off all the inhabitants, when we realized we couldn't make it back. I tried and tried to radio for more fuel to be brought so we could return home. I finally got through, but…" he trailed off and shook his head, his tail thumping against the ground behind him. He'd finally picked up a signal through his scouter just in time to hear Bardock die. A violent shiver shook his large frame and he looked at her. "Sorry."

Eighteen pressed her lips together, watching how defeated he looked at that moment. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories," she said as she rolled over onto her stomach and looked at him as she ate some chips out of the bag he brought. "Seems our 'family' is full of the worst times, the worst memories. So much hate." She looked at him again, seeing him still lost in past memories, "We could talk about something better. The weather's nice."

"They're not bad memories. It's just been awhile since I really thought on it. Since I talked about it," he answered. He shrugged, "Ah, you're right. We should talk about something else. No one wants to hear all that bullshit. Frieza was a bastard, we all suffered. Blah, blah." He managed a smile for her. "Really? You wanna talk about the weather? Surely you can come up with something better than that." He paused and waited for her to say something before he snickered. "No? Alright then, we'll sit here and stare at each other all afternoon." He fixed his dark brown eyes on her pale blue ones and a small, genuine smile pulled at his lips.

Eighteen snorted and threw a chip at him. It was so odd to have him there. After the outburst she'd had at her brother, they seemed to have come to some unspoken terms between them. "Well, I would ask what's new with you, but you're like Marron's shadow at the hospital. Tough guess there." She hid a small smile of her own as she thought about it, Krillin was still working wonders. He had a proud Saiyan warrior reading children's stories to their little girl. A feat few Saiyans could say they aspired to.

It was true. Tora spent most of his free time at the hospital when he wasn't training with Vegeta. But this was nice, being out here in the bright sunlight with her on a nice day. She looked radiant with the sun shining on her blonde hair, the bright colors of fall surrounding her. It was such a stark contrast to the way she looked in that dim hospital room, the lights kept low around Marron as she rested. A soft chuckle escaped him and he ate the chip she threw at him. He laid down more on his side, tucking his arm under his head as he watched her. Something coiled in his chest, something that made him feel giddy and excited in a way he'd never felt before as he looked at the beautiful woman before him. He'd been feeling that a lot lately. "I bet you never took orders from anyone, huh? You're too independent. Too strong-willed. You're not a soldier like I am. No one ever told you what to do."

Eighteen looked away, towards the water. "You would think that, wouldn't you?" she sighed. "I'm not an android because I wanted to be. You know, with a computer brain and all the gizmos and gadgets. Even with a built in bomb, courtesy of Dr. Gero himself. The man who created my brother and myself. A bomb that was a failsafe should we ever disappoint him. He built us for the sole purpose of defeating Goku, but the moment we became aware of ourselves, we knew we wanted to carve our own path in life. We killed him, but there was always the fear that the bombs inside of us might one day be used to destroy us." She closed her eyes, remembering the selfless wish that Krillin had made that day, saving her and her brother from that fear. "My husband had the bombs wished away so that no one could manipulate us ever again."

Tora listened intently; he'd never heard much about the androids' past. "Your husband was a good man," he said. He looked down, picking at a spot on the blanket for a moment before he looked up at her again. His throat felt a bit dry as he wondered if it was an inappropriate question to ask, but he couldn't stop himself. "I know that you'll never stop loving Krillin. But do you think you'll ever fall in love again?" He swallowed and explained quickly, "I'm not hitting on you, Eighteen. Just curious."

Eighteen blinked down at him, her eyebrow twitching as she wondered if she should slap him but his question was born from innocence. She could almost hear Krillin answering for her, "My husband, Krillin. His only wish for me ever was that I be truly happy in my life." She leaned back and looked up at the sky, wishing she could see his face. "If that means falling in love again, perhaps I will." She looked down at him, giving him a wink and a sly smile, "How would you feel about a three-way on the other side?"

Tora choked at her unexpected question and had to hold up a hand for a moment as he fell into a coughing fit. "WHAT?!" he finally managed, his face burning hot and eyes wide. He felt like an idiot a moment later when she threw her head back and laughed at him. "You are a little shit. Second, I blame Kakarot's mate for putting ideas like that in your head. And third, I guess I deserve that after all the teasing I've done to you." He laid his head back down on his arm and laughed with her. It felt good to enjoy her company like this, to laugh together. He suddenly found himself wishing for many more moments like this with her.

Eighteen laughed at his reaction, "All of those might be true, but I was actually being serious. Sabriena and the other girls, they have a point. A view on the other world with a 'Mother' watching over them, that everyone has a paradise to live in. What I don't understand is if a loved one passes on ahead of another, what does happen if the one still living loves again?"

Tora went quiet for a moment as he thought about it. "I don't know," he answered softly. "I've never given much thought to the afterlife, to be honest. Saiyans don't put much stock in spirituality or gods or what might happen after we die. It wasn't until I came here that I started to read about beliefs and all that. And there's a million different beliefs about what happens after you die. Heaven or Hell, Nirvana, reincarnation, nothing. I don't know what to believe. But, I guess, if there is an afterlife, and a person found themselves with two mates when it's all said and done, I guess you'd just sort it out then." He gave a shrug. "I'm rambling."

Eighteen shook her head, putting her hands behind her head. "It's not rambling if it's meaningful. I'm being honest," she said a little annoyedly. "I love Krillin, the first person in this world to give a damn about my feelings, my happiness. I have no doubt he would want me to be happy again, if that is even possible. I just hope that whatever is in the afterlife, there is no more fighting. That everyone will understand why we did what we had to do, you know?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that." He narrowed his eyes slightly in consideration of her. "You never cease to surprise me, you know that? I don't think most people give it that kind of thought. At least, from what I've seen here on earth. They all seem to just jump in and out of relationships like it doesn't matter. And they sure as hell don't think about it in terms of the afterlife." He paused for a moment before he reached over and ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek, drawing her eyes to him. "I hope you can be happy again. And if you do decide to fall in love again, whoever it is will be a damn lucky man."

Eighteen couldn't stop herself as she closed her eyes, leaning into Tora's touch. Krillin used to do the same thing. It was almost eerie, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away. Maybe on some level, it was him. She sighed and nodded, "When you've been through what I have, what my brother has. What this 'family' has been through, it just makes more sense to think about things that way. Relationships are meant to be treasured; they mean nothing if we continue on like nothing has happened. You can close a chapter in a book, but you don't forget about it."

A knot formed in Tora's throat at her words. "I know that," he said heavily before he cleared his throat. "I lost the only family I had the day Bardock and Gine died. My parents were killed on a mission when I was young. I had no other family. But Bardock was like a brother to me. I will never forget them. NEVER," he said fiercely. He drew a long breath through his nose to calm himself. He didn't like getting emotional; it was awkward and foreign to him, especially to show that level of emotion in front of another person. "I've never been in love," he admitted with a chuckle. "Don't think there's anyone out there that can put up with me. Don't know why. I'm so nice and quiet and reserved and polite and well-behaved…" he trailed off and laughed deeply at his own lie.

Eighteen gave him a skeptical look.,"Mmmhmm, I'm sure. There's got to be some girl out there for you at the right price." She winked and shrieked when he threw the back of chips at her, "Hey! I have a six year old, I am the grand master of food fights, I'll have you know." Eighteen thought they could continue their conversation, but Tora was looking uncomfortable about the topic. Though, he couldn't run from it forever. "I heard rumors," she said, sobering up, remembering the woman that killed Krillin. "That that bitch Fasha demanded you and the rest of your crew only sleep with her."

Tora sobered then too. "Yeah, she did," he answered. "She had this idea that sleeping with another race was beneath us. That we should keep to our own. Fasha had very strong opinions on how things should be done, everything was black and white with her. No grey areas at all. Durian slept with her a lot. Daikon gave in on occasion, on the full moon on the planet we were stuck on. I almost did at first, but it was just too weird." He shook his head, frowning at the thought.

Eighteen blinked over at him, "You never slept with her? Not even once?"

"Not once," he answered. He smirked at the memory of the Atlantians' camp. "You should'a seen the look on her face when I slept with those Atlantian women. I thought her head was going to explode. She was furious at me."

Eighteen smirked at the thought. "If only it would have," she said before she sighed. "You're alright, I suppose. I mean, taking me out for lunch, telling me about past exploits. I'd tell you about mine, but anything before I was turned into an android was stolen from me. Gone for good," she said, remembering Krillin asking her on one occasion if there had been anyone else. He had told her about Marion, but she didn't have to worry about that airhead, she was certain.

"That's too bad. I bet you had some interesting stories," he teased. He wagged his eyebrows suggestively at her. "Wanna make some new ones?" He laughed when she slapped his shoulder and he laid back on the blanket like her, tucking his arms behind his head to look up at the bright blue sky. He edged a little closer to her and heaved a contented sigh. A mischievous smirk tugged at his lips as he snaked his tail over towards her and poked her in the side with it, making her jump.

The android shook her head at him and reached out, catching it with her lightning fast reflexes. "You know, I've heard talk that losing one of these is the most painful, embarrassing things that can happen to a proud Saiyan warrior," she said, giving it a light tug and laughed at the blush that appeared on his face before she let go of the writhing appendage. "I can see how those can be fun. Sabriena and Tien need to convince Goku to bring his tail back."

Oh dear gods above, help him. He turned his face away, biting his lower lip as his face screwed up, willing his body to calm from her touch. He wanted her to do it again. He was almost grateful for the restrictive leather pants he wore as his length stirred. He scrubbed at his face with his hand before he turned his head towards her again. "Damn you," he growled. His face was still hot, his breathing uneven. Oh, how he wanted to roll on top of her and have his way with her right then, right there in the open sunlight until they were both blissfully exhausted. "If you know so much about tails, you should know better than to grab one like that."

Eighteen looked down at the tail slowly before she gave him a sly look. "Oh, I know all about Saiyan anatomy. I was designed to kill Goku. I know all of his weak points. Considering you now have a case of 'blue balls,' consider this a step towards us being even." She winked at him devilishly and reached over to grab another sandwich, eating it defiantly in front of him.

A low, rumbling growl issued from his throat. His heart felt like it was going to bruise his ribs, it was beating so hard, and his throat felt tight. "Damn you," he repeated and shifted uncomfortably as he tried to will his erection to subside. He rolled to his side, dangerously close to her now, looking down at her as she munched on the sandwich. He slid his hand across the flat plane of her stomach and curled his fingers around her hip. "You could help me out with this little problem you caused, you know." He didn't know where this daring impulse had come from, he was practically begging to get slapped at this point, but he didn't care. Damn it all to hell, he wanted her.

Eighteen chuckled, "Or I could eat this sandwich in front of you and you could help yourself out. More entertaining for me that way. Dinner and a show." She mimicked his own movement, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively as she reclined back on the cloth and watched him. She even waved a hand in his direction, "Go on then. Make it a good one." She didn't know why, but this was doing something, mending some wound in her soul that she needed. That she had some control over the situation, unlike with Krillin's death. She remembered her husband on the bed, surrounded by candles and rose petals. Horribly cliche but she loved it. He had danced to some tasteful music, baring himself to her inch by inch. She shook the memory from her mind. "This is your atonement," she breathed, looking at him with her intense eyes.

"Are you serious?" he asked, disbelief all over his face. Oh, but the way her eyes bored into him made him tremble under her gaze. His length hardened painfully, demanding attention. He hadn't planned this. Their picnic wasn't supposed to turn out like this. But damned if he wasn't happy about the way things were going. He swallowed and licked his lips as his hand went to his belt, unbuckling it as he leaned over her a bit more, his face mere inches from hers. "Can I at least kiss you?" he whispered.

Eighteen considered him for a moment. She hadn't felt on fire like this since this night before the battle. Krillin had made love to her in a way she'd never forget. She had been, up until that point, certain that she would never forget it. Something in her resounded that this was part of her healing process. To watch this man give up something, the way Krillin had. She looked at him, tilting her head. It wasn't him she was mad at. It was Fasha. And if him consorting with another species was a huge stick up her ass, then Eighteen wanted to be that stick. She nodded at the Saiyan and leaned in, her lips centimeters from his when she heard a familiar tune buzzing in her back pocket.

Tora groaned and flopped back on the blanket as Eighteen went for her phone. Damn it all to hell. He'd been so close. SO CLOSE. He closed his eyes, his cock still throbbing, and decided to wait until her phonecall was over. He looked at her curiously when she gasped and bolted upright. "What is it?" he asked, concerned.

Eighteen's eyes went wide, tears gathered and slipped down her face as she promised the hospital she would be right there. She looked at Tora, all thoughts gone except for the one. "Marron is awake."


	19. Amnesia

Tora leapt to his feet, forgetting his physical needs at the moment as his heart leapt into his throat. "Are you serious?" he breathed. At her nod, he gave a roar of excitement and grabbed her up, crushing her to his chest. Things were finally turning around. Even though nothing had technically happened there at the lake, their relationship had taken a new turn in a better direction. And more importantly, her daughter was awake. All the time spent worrying over whether or not Marron would ever wake up was now gone. She was conscious. They weren't going to lose her. Eighteen had her daughter back.

He swung Eighteen around before he set her back on the ground. "Wait just a second," he said and ran to his bike, pressing a button on it to capsulate it before he shoved it in his pocket. "Let's go. Fuck the blanket. We don't have time to pack everything up." He was too excited to get back to the hospital, to see little Marron awake and smiling at her mother. He offered his hand to Eighteen. "I can get us there in a snap," he winked, already thinking of a spot on the sidewalk just outside the hospital door where he could transport them to. He'd stopped appearing inside the hospital; the nurses would always scream and scold him. And while that amused him at first, it quickly got old.

Eighteen nodded and reached out, taking his hand. The world warped around her and the hospital appeared in front of them. "Thanks!" she cried as she dashed into the building, the Saiyan hot on her heels. She could see that her daughter's room was all a buzz with doctors and nurses running around. "Marron?" she asked as she got near to the door.

Tora peered over Eighteen's shoulder as she opened the door to Marron's room. The doctor and a nurse were there with her and she blinked over at her mother as they entered the room. A big smile split Tora's face and the corners of his eyes prickled. "Hey, little one," he said softly and gently pushed the door shut behind him. "We wondered when you were going to wake up."

Marron blinked up at them, shrinking back on the bed, pulling the covers up her chest.

Eighteen nearly drew back at the fear she saw in her daughter's eyes and quickly tried to explain the situation. "Baby, you were in an accident back on your birthday, remember? You've been asleep for a very long time. Tora saved you and he's been with me this whole time waiting for you to wake up," she said, moving to stand next to the bed and watched her daughter still shrink back, "Honey, what's wrong?"

Marron felt tears in her eyes and a fear in her that she hadn't felt in a while. She didn't remember sleeping for a long time. A strange man had been visiting her in a beautiful field and they played ball and had picnics every day until that morning he said she had to come back home. She looked up at the blonde woman and then over at the towering man behind her before back at Eighteen, "Who are you?"

Eighteen felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her at her daughter's words. "What do you mean, baby? Mommy, I'm your mommy." She prayed that she was playing a joke, being funny, something other than the horrifying truth. "Don't you remember me?"

The doctor standing next to Marron on the other side of the bed paused as he was taking the little girl's vitals, "That's alright, mom. No need to worry. In cases where the patient has been out for a long period of time, amnesia is common. We will be lucky if that is all the damage she has suffered."

"Amnesia?" Tora asked, blinking widely. He looked at the stricken expression on Eighteen's face. He'd heard of that before. "I don't understand. You mean, she doesn't remember anything? Her mother?" At the nurse's frown he ran both hands through his hair, exhaling a long sigh. This was something he hadn't anticipated. Eighteen was so worried about Marron forgetting Krillin, and now she had forgotten EVERYONE. He felt completely defeated in that moment. Even though his wish had been fulfilled, what difference did it really make? Marron couldn't remember them at all.

Marron looked to the bigger man in the room and glanced between her mother and him. She felt terrible, like she had done something bad. "Does that mean you are my Daddy?" she asked in a small voice, but she was drawing a blank.

Eighteen's eyes widened and quickly said, "No! No he's not." She reached for the pink picture frame by her bed and pointed to Krillin. "This is your daddy. He di-" she stopped short as the horror hit her again, that twice now she was going to have to tell her daughter he died.

Marron looked at the picture and reached out to touch it. Her fingers were sluggish. "I dreamed about him, but he had hair."

The doctor was writing something down in his chart. "We will probably have to put her through some physical therapy, make sure she doesn't have any muscle damage. Being so young, she may have to relearn how to walk or perform other tasks."

Tora was beside himself. No. No, this couldn't be happening. She really didn't remember anything. If Marron couldn't remember him, he could understand that. He hadn't been in her life for very long. But for her to completely forget her mother and father was beyond anything he could comprehend in that moment. He roughly sat down in a chair and leaned his elbows on his knees as he covered his face with his hands. "Krillin, I'm sorry," he whispered. "I failed your wife and daughter." He should've been paying more attention that day at the park. He should never have let Marron out of his sight.

His shoulders gave a violent shiver as anger at himself and the situation coursed through his veins, his powerlevel rising dangerously. He shook his head a couple of times, clearing his mind, controlling his temper. He looked up to the doctor, a desperate look in his eyes. "Is there ANYTHING we can do to help her remember?"

The doctor regarded the man for a moment, unswayed by the anger he saw. "Being around her family, her home, familiar surroundings should help. Activities to make her brain work and keeping her active is about all we can do. This could be short term, or it could be permanent. The thing she needs most is a stress free environment so she can heal."

Tora managed a nod for the doctor before he looked at Eighteen. He could see the fear in her eyes again, the worry there. "Eighteen," he said softly, "What do you need me to do? Tell me anything, any way I can help, and I'll do it." He wanted to pull her into his arms again, but Marron was confused enough as it was and he didn't want to add to that.

Eighteen didn't know what to do. Her mind was going a million miles a minute. "If she needs familiarity, I'll make sure she has it. I..." She paused and looked towards Tora, "I'm going to need help," she said, desperate that he would understand. "I can't let her forget her father, Krillin. I can't." Her hands clenched into fists as she tried her hardest not to shake, not to break down and cry. She had to be strong.

"You're absolutely right," Tora agreed, seeing that she was about to fall apart right in front of him. He felt his anger vanish; she needed to be strong for her daughter, but he needed to remain calm and strong for her. He got to his feet and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a kind smile. "We won't let her forget." He rubbed lightly at her shoulderblade as she watched the doctor and the nurse finish up checking Marron over. "You want me to run by your house and pick up a few things from her room? If she's going to be staying here for a little while longer, it might be good to have more of her own things around her. Might help her remember."

Eighteen nodded and reached out to hold her daughter close as she reached over to her purse and fished her keys out, passing them to the Saiyan. "Yeah, get her a few changes of clothes. Some of her stuffed animals, her favorites are on her bed. There's also a necklace on her night stand, it's a locket her father gave her."

Tora smiled and put the keys back in Eighteen's purse. "I don't need those and I'd probably forget to lock the door behind me anyway," he said softly. He leaned down to her, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered, "It's going to be okay, Eighteen. We'll help her remember. I'm not going to let her forget you or Krillin. I promise." He pulled back and gave her another small smile before he snapped his fingers and vanished in a swirl of dark blue smoke.

He looked around Marron's bedroom, decorated in fairies and mermaids and, of course, unicorns. Her mother had gone all out to make it every little girl's dream room. He grabbed a few changes of clothes and carefully tucked the locket into his pocket. He grabbed up a couple of the stuffed animals and paused when he saw the pink unicorn he'd given her on her birthday sitting there. He had assumed that Eighteen had thrown it away after the birthday party, she was so angry with everything that had happened. But instead, there it was, waiting on the bed for Marron to come home.

He decided to leave it. Marron wouldn't remember it. And it could be like a surprise for her when she came home. After making sure he had everything Eighteen requested, he gathered it up and snapped his fingers again, reappearing in the hospital room. The doctor and the nurse had gone. He gave Marron a warm smile. "Hey, kiddo, do you remember these?" he asked as he set the stuffed animals on the bed next to her. "They're yours."

Eighteen watched on hopefully as Marron looked at the toys, but her shoulders sagged when no recognition lit up her eyes. "That's okay baby, we will work on your memory. You will remember."

Marron felt her eyes tear up as she looked at the two grown-ups who seemed unhappy that she couldn't remember. "I'm sorry! I can try harder!"

"Hey, hey, hey," Tora said quickly in a soft tone. "It's okay. You just woke up. You don't have to remember right away." He felt disappointment curl around his heart as the tears slipped down Marron's cheeks. "Shhhh, little one," he soothed and reached out to gently brush away her tears. He crouched next to her bed and continued to speak in a quiet voice. "Now listen, you've been asleep for a long time. It's going to take awhile, but you'll remember eventually. I'll be here to help you every day. I promise. Afterall, you were the first person to be my friend in a very long time."

Marron hiccupped and nodded and wiped at her eyes with her fists, looking at the large man carefully. He was big and scary looking, but he acted very nice, "I... I was? You're nice though, why don't you have more friends?" She looked to the one they told her was her mother. "Is she your friend too?"

Eighteen couldn't believe how gentle Tora was being with her daughter. Calm and understanding. She reached out and stroked her girl's hair, enjoying it because she had missed her baby so. "Yeah, I'm his friend too," she admitted quietly, watching as the smile appeared on her face.

Something swelled in Tora's chest when Eighteen called herself his friend. He smiled and looked at Eighteen, feeling a bit of relief wash through his system. Even though he could see the worry in her eyes, he could also see the happiness there that her daughter was awake. He looked back to Marron, a confident look on his face. "Don't you worry. You'll be up and running in no time. Everything will come back to you. I bet once you're able to go home it'll make things a lot better."

Eighteen felt a sudden exhaustion washing over her at having her daughter awake. She let herself settle in on the other side of the bed, gathering her little girl in her arms. She kissed the top of her head and looked over at Tora, "I don't know about you, but I think this calls for a little celebration. Marron's favorite perhaps?" She looked down at her girl, "What sounds good to you?"

Marron looked up at her mom and then at Tora. What did she feel like eating? She scrunched up her face. "Not cake," she said firmly.

Tora lifted an eyebrow at that. Did she somehow remember the birthday party? Was that locked away in her mind somewhere that something bad happened after eating cake? He felt hope rising up in him already. Perhaps he was grasping at straws, looking for anything that could tell him that Marron would recover her memories. But he would take what he could get at this point. "I could go get us all some ice cream," he offered.

Marron perked up, her eyes going wide. She looked up at her mom, but then cupped her hands to her mouth, whispering loudly. "Is it okay to have dessert before supper?" she asked.

Eighteen couldn't stop her laugh at the innocent question, "Normally, no, not alright, but I think I can make an exception in this case. What flavor sounds good to you?"

Marron blinked and held her hand to her chin as she thought. "Umm, I can't remember. Can I try a few?" she asked.

Tora chuckled and nodded as he stood up. "You bet. I'll be right back with more ice cream than you can possibly imagine." He shot a wink at Eighteen as he said it. "You need anything while I'm out?" he asked. "I don't want you to have to leave for anything. Whatever you need done, I'll take care of it. You just stay here with your baby."

Eighteen gave him a weary smile, "I'll let you know if I think of anything. Maybe later we can surprise her with some sloppy joes and mac'n'cheese. She loves the messy meals." She gave him a wink before smiling down at her girl, "Then you can learn how to clean a messy face."

Tora nodded and disappeared. He openly laughed at the expression on the worker's face when he ordered two of every flavor of ice cream. That reaction would never get old. He decided to get cups instead of cones for the simple fact that he didn't know how to carry that many cones back to Marron's room. He beamed at Eighteen when he reappeared in the room and set the cups of ice cream on the table. "Here we go!" he grinned and wheeled a tray over to Marron's bed and set a few of the cups there. "Have at it, little one."

Eighteen laughed at the feast he had brought back with them. She was going to protest her little girl was going to get fat, but she had lost some weight while she had been in a coma. Plus when she was going to start running like crazy as soon as she had her energy back. "Eat up, honey," she said as she scooted herself off of the bed and gave Tora a look. "Make sure she doesn't eat too much too fast. No eating contests. I'm going to go talk to the nurse in charge to see if we can get those sloppy joes for dinner." She paused on her way out, turning to look over her shoulder, "And save me a cup of that cookie dough."

She laughed at the pout on Tora's face but just shook her head and turned back to the hallway, walking towards the nurses' station. She turned the corner and nearly stopped short at the familiar woman standing at the counter already. She couldn't stop the surprised gasp that escaped her mouth, "Chichi?" The woman looked terrible, a black eye, a broken nose that had a few stitches on the bridge and her lip looked split. "Are... you okay?" She didn't much care for the woman, after what she had done to Goku and Goten.

Chichi blinked in surprise when she saw Eighteen. "Eighteen!" she exclaimed. She felt a panic overwhelm her and she looked down at the counter in front of her, her mind working furiously. She didn't want anyone to know the truth of what happened. She felt tears prickle in the corners of her eyes and she winced as they stung. "I must look horrible," she said with a slight laugh, not meeting Eighteen's eyes.

Eighteen crossed her arms and went to lean against the counter. "You look like you got into a bar fight," she said, hearing the head nurse behind her speaking.

"Miss Eighteen, it's a violation of this patient's rights. She does not have to tell you anything and I would appreciate it if you didn't push the matter."

Eighteen frowned and nodded, watching the jerky movements of the older woman. She remembered someone mentioning something about a curse cast on the woman. Maybe she was getting what was coming to her. She remembered hearing one of their friends saying that Goten had scars on his back. She bit back a scowl and said, "I sure hope that isn't permanent."

Chichi dug in her purse for her insurance card. "No, I'll be fine," she said dismissively, not catching the meaning behind Eighteen's words. "It was silly, really. I was walking down the stairs and the cat got under my feet. I feel like a complete klutz." She handed the card to the nurse who didn't quite hide her expression as she rolled her eyes. Chichi turned to Eighteen, offering a small smile. "Just a stupid accident," she lied. She didn't want anyone speculating on what had really happened, for anyone to judge her.

Eighteen was absolutely sure that the woman was lying to her, but she dropped the issue and turned back to one of the other nurses there. "You, yes you. I was wondering if it would be possible to get some sloppy joes and mac'n'cheese for my daughter's dinner tonight. It's her favorite so hopefully it can spark her memory."

The nurse smiled and nodded at Eighteen. "Sure! We can do that for you. That's a good idea. I'll let the cafeteria know," she answered. "Just for your daughter, or do you and your boyfriend plan on eating as well?"

Chichi was curious as to why Marron was in the hospital, but her desire to get away before Eighteen asked any more questions was too strong. She stuck her card back in her purse. "See you later, Eighteen," she said quietly and hurried out of the hospital.

Eighteen barely heard Chichi leave. "Oh yes, we'd like some too. Maybe about three for him. He eats a lot. And we're not, you know, not dating. He's just," She looked off in the direction of the room, "just a good friend to my daughter."

"Oh! My mistake," the nurse apologized. "I just sort of assumed… Well, with the way he looks at you and everything. I'm sorry." She typed something in her computer before she looked up at Eighteen again with a smile. "There we go. When they bring up everyone's dinners, they'll have your order ready. Oh! And whenever it's convenient for you, I need to sit down with you and work out a schedule for Marron's physical therapy. Maybe tomorrow afternoon? I can arrange a free hour to sit down and talk with you about it then."

Eighteen nodded and arranged a specific time to talk before she went back to the room, chuckling at the two inside. Both of them had ice cream smeared over their cheeks and somehow, Tora managed to get a dollop in his hair. He was taking huge bites of ice cream and making faces as brain-freeze settled in, making Marron giggled at him. "I can't take you two anywhere, can I?"


	20. Taking Control

Jenny had lost track of the time her mother and sister had been staying at the Lookout. Combining that with her weekly chemotherapy treatments, she felt like she was beyond exhausted. She couldn't stand their looks, their accusing eyes. The way Kacie commented on how she didn't look like she was sick at all. She tried to calm her breathing, reminding herself that they were just there to help. She carefully shifted Paige in her lap as she cut up her scrambled eggs. "Here honey, stop playing with Mommy's hair and eat your breakfast." She looked at the food, feeling her stomach churning at the thought and smell of the eggs. It had sounded good, but seeing it just put her off her appetite.

Her mother tilted her head at her daughter. "You'd better eat up too, you're starting to look all skin and bones. Don't let the breakfast I worked hard on go cold." She looked around the table, shifting uneasily in her chair at the stern look of her daughter's husband. She couldn't help it, that man unnerved her. She turned back to her daughter, "Finish your breakfast and Kacie and I will wash the dishes and then maybe we can go out for a little while. Get some fresh air."

Kacie huffed and pushed her eggs around on her plate. "Mooooom, don't do that. I'll wash my dishes, make Jenny do something for once. She looks fine." She looked at her sister, "You look fine enough to me. You just want free labor."

Piccolo's eye twitched at Kacie's comments. He didn't know how much longer he could bite his tongue. He'd found her incredibly self-centered and rude from the first moment he met her. He was trying to find the right moment to tell them to leave without coming across as a complete ass. Although he was quickly starting to not care. He clenched his jaw and shifted Alice in his lap as she carefully ate her eggs. He instead turned his attention to his other daughter, who was squirming in her mother's lap. "Paige, sit still and eat," he warned in a low voice.

Rose could feel the tension in the room. She didn't much care for Kacie either, but she wanted to keep the peace in the Lookout. Jenny most definitely did not need to be stressed at the moment and too much animosity was not good for Dende either. "I can do the dishes," she offered. "I don't mind."

Dende had a headache since the moment the two women had arrived at the Lookout, claiming to want to help their family out. However, the sister had taken one look at Jenny and decided she was faking it just to get attention. He rubbed at his temples and reached out to take his wife's hand in his own.

Jenny managed a small smile for Rose, "Would you? That would be great." She looked back over at her mom, "I'm sorry, I just don't think I can eat these eggs. They sounded good at first, but my nausea is acting up again."

Kacie rolled her eyes, "A likely excuse. You are so rude. Just eat it and throw it up later if you want." She made a face as she watched the little girl in her sister's arms twist around, reaching up and grasping a lock of dark hair and pulled. Hardly any effort and the fistful of hair came free, falling down into Jenny's plate of food. "Ewww, gross. You have a bald spot. Maybe if you got out in the sun more, you wouldn't be losing your hair." She mumbled under her breath, "Or maybe it's the same thing that made their skin green. No wonder she's sick."

The mother looked at her youngest daughter, "Kacie, don't be rude. She's just not feeling well. Cancer is a serious thing!" She looked back at Jenny, "Don't listen to her. We can get you some hair that won't fall out. We can go to a wig shop! Don't you remember when you were little and you donated all that hair to Locks of Love? Wouldn't it be something if you got your own hair in a wig?"

"Uh, Mrs. Wick, I highly doubt that's a possibility," Rose said nervously. Oh goodness. She really didn't know what to think of Jenny's mother. Blissfully unaware? That was probably the nicest way she could put it.

Piccolo slowly closed his eyes, trying to run through a quick meditation to calm himself. He'd winced when Paige pulled out Jenny's hair. It broke his heart to see that happening to his wife. And for Kacie to make smart-assed little comments about it just made his blood boil. "Maybe if you pulled your head out of your ass, you could see what was really happening to the people around you," he muttered.

Kacie's eyes went wide and her face turned red with rage. "What did you say to me?" She crossed her arms and looked between them all, "Fine, I'm just calling it as I see it. Jenny ups and leaves us and then when she needs 'help' calls us back a few years later to let us know she has 'cancer.' Then mom drags me all the way out here so we can be insulted by her dead beat husband? What exactly do you do again?"

Karen looked sternly at her daughter, "Kacie, that's enough. We are family, we help each other."

Kacie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure. Looks like what Larry said about her was right. A cancer just waiting to metastasize. And here it is!" she said with a fake happy voice.

Jenny felt tears stinging at her eyes and she moved Paige aside to sit on her own as she stood up. "Just go home already," she gasped out before she turned and walked towards her room, stumbling only a little bit on the way out.

Kacie snorted, "See? She's not sick, she's just drunk again."

Dende pushed away from his seat as well. "Excuse me, I need to begin my rounds," he said. It wasn't entirely a lie, but ever since he and Rose had joined together, it was as if the world had entered a time of peace, but that peace would not last if he stayed in that room with that thing Jenny called a sister for very much longer.

"Jenny," Rose gasped and got quickly to her feet, hurrying to her sister-in-law's side. She carefully wrapped her arm around Jenny's waist to steady her. "Let's get you laid down in bed. You need to rest," she said softly before she looked over her shoulder at Kacie, "You are incredibly rude."

Piccolo gently set Alice on the seat next to him, his arms shaking with the effort of keeping his calm. He saw red as he turned his gaze on Kacie. "How dare you," he growled. "I have held my tongue since the moment you arrived because my wife asked me to. And I respected her wishes until this point. But you've crossed a line now." He could feel his power level rising dangerously and he had to fight the urge to take Kacie's head clean off her shoulders in that moment. "My wife is sick. YOUR SISTER is sick. And for you to sit there and accuse her of pretending to be ill or of being drunk is one of the most disrespectful things I've ever witnessed."

Kacie snorted and crossed her arms, "You don't know her that well then. I don't envy you at all. See, Mom? I told you she was just fine. She's even got people to back her up this time."

Karen rubbed at her face and bopped Kacie on the arm. "Stop that, your sister is ill. There's no good to be had from talking about her behind her back about such things." She looked off in the direction her daughter disappeared to and frowned.

Piccolo barely let Jenny's mother get her words out before he snapped back at Kacie. "I know her a hell of a lot better than you do. She's my mate. No one knows her better than I do," he growled. He suddenly got to his feet, looking down at her from his full intimidating height. "You have done nothing but stress my wife out since you got here. You are the most spoiled, self-centered, obnoxious, rude, disrespectful little bitch that I have EVER encountered. And that's saying a lot; I've lived with Sabriena!" His shoulders shook as he finished his rant and he took a deep breath.

Kacie looked visibly startled and looked at her mom who just sat and said nothing. She threw her hands up into the air, "Whatever. I don't have to sit here and listen to this bullshit!" She got to her feet and turned to storm from the room.

"BITCH!" Paige spat at her aunt as Kacie left the room and flung a piece of egg at her.

Piccolo crossed his arms and smirked down at his daughter. "Good girl, Paige."

* * *

><p>Catie landed on the tile of the Lookout with a small bag clutched in her hand. She didn't know how Jenny was going to react to this, but she hoped it would somehow help her sister. She knew that despite the physical pain Jenny was in, the emotional part was what had really been bothering her. She hadn't seen much of Jenny lately, only short phone conversations before Jenny either fell to tears or said she was too tired to talk. But the one thing Jenny had mentioned that was really bothering her was the fact that she was losing her hair.<p>

"Hey Dende!" Catie called with a smile and a big wave in the Namek's direction as she saw him walking the edge of the Lookout with little Alice in tow. She had to snicker at the little one; she was carrying a stick in her hand to mimic Dende's staff. "Where's Jenny? She awake?"

Dende turned and smiled sadly at Catie, pausing his work for a moment. "She's in her bedroom, of course. Yesterday wore her out I am afraid, I think the dose was increased this time around. She is taking it fairly hard today. Her mother and sister aren't helping matters either." He was glad Catie was there, it was a change of pace and perhaps it would give Jenny some energy to have a guest who genuinely cared about her. "Please go on in; Piccolo is in the nursery if you need anything." He watched her go before he turned back to Alice, resuming his quiet lesson with her.

Catie let her feet carry her to her sister's room, not even bothering to say anything to Piccolo as she passed the nursery. She wasn't sure what he would say and frankly she didn't care. She shut the bedroom door behind her and clicked on the light. Jenny cringed under the covers and Catie sighed. "Get up," she said. "We need to talk."

Jenny sighed under the covers, the light was painful. "Turn that off and I will," she said, but peeked out from the covers, wincing as the bright light hurt her eyes. She could see the worry in her adopted sister's face and she pushed herself up with some trouble. Her joints ached today and she felt weaker than she could remember. "I knew I should have called you," she said quietly, "Spare you a trip out to see all of this." She gestured to herself. She knew she looked terrible. Her hair was so bad, there were bald spots. She was fairly sure she could go as a skeleton on Halloween and not dress up for it. Her complexion left much to be desired.

Catie fought to keep her expression neutral. She'd never seen Jenny look like this before. "Good gods," she whispered and sat on the edge of the bed to take Jenny's hands in her own. "Honey, you didn't tell me it was this bad." She frowned as she cupped her sister's cold cheek in her hand. An anger rose up in her chest at the situation. Everyone was wondering why Jenny hadn't been around much, yet no one had bothered to find out the reason. Poor thing looked like death warmed over. She set her face with a determined look. "I have an idea," she said, "and you might not like it. You don't have to do it if you don't want to, but I thought it might make you feel a little better. Remember when you told me you were so upset about starting to lose your hair?"

Jenny turned away from her sister, reaching up to her head, but paused before she touched it. Every time she did, more fell out. Piccolo tried to hide it from her when he accidentally pulled some out when he was trying to soothe her, but she knew. She couldn't stop the tears that formed in her eyes and slid down her cheeks. "How could I forget?" she asked sadly before she looked back at Catie, eyeing the bag in her lap. "What was your idea?"

Catie swallowed and met Jenny's eyes with a level stare as she reached into the bag and slowly withdrew the electric shaver. She clicked it on and a loud buzzing filled the room. She turned it off and pressed it into Jenny's hand. "This shit has taken so much from you already. Don't let it take anything else. Do it on YOUR terms," she said in a quiet, but fierce voice.

Jenny looked down at the device Catie pressed into her hand and she swallowed hard. Her terms. It almost seemed like a foreign concept to her at the moment. Ever since she had learned she was sick, it seemed as if nothing was on her terms any more. Cancer had almost taken her life and chemotherapy was taking what was left of it. She thought about it, shaving her head before the chemicals could take it from her. Maybe Piccolo wouldn't be so afraid to touch her if she did this. He wouldn't have to worry about pulling out what was left of her hair. She found herself nodding, her world going blurry as tears filled her eyes. She wanted it; she wanted to take this back. How wonderful it would be if Piccolo would hold her again. Would he still want to if she was bald? She snorted, "Piccolo and I are going to match for a while, aren't we?" She gave another watery laugh and offered the shaver to Catie, "Could you do it? I don't think I have the strength."

Catie felt relief crash through her system at her sister's braveness. It was fantastic to hear that tiny little sad laugh from her throat. She bit her lips together and shook her head slowly. "No," she said. "I want YOU to do it. That's the whole point. If you can't reach the back, I'll help, but you're going to do as much as you can." She stood up and offered a hand to Jenny. "Come on, I'll help you walk to the bathroom. You can do this." She lowered her voice to a growl and took on a posh accent, "You're a Saiyan, woman! Now act like one!" She giggled at her own impression of Vegeta, unable to keep the stern look on her face.

Jenny snorted and let Catie help her up. "Hard-ass," she muttered and she wondered how she was going to get her hair. She felt so weak and helpless, but Catie was right. She needed to do this. Looking into the bathroom mirror, she winced at her own reflection. The dark circles under her eyes, her thinned hair, and her pallid skin. "I sure don't feel like a Saiyan at the moment," she said as she clicked the shaver on and lifted the device to her head, watching as her hair fell as she cut it away. She did as much as she could, her hand shaking with the effort until she couldn't hold her arm up any more and let it drop to her lap.

She studied the person in the mirror, hardly recognizing herself. It felt good to take control of something again. "I command you to do the rest. My terms," she said, sticking out her tongue at Catie in the mirror.

Catie snickered and nodded proudly. "As you wish," she grinned and took the clippers into her hand and finished the job for her sister. She leaned over Jenny's shoulder when the job was done and hugged her. "You're just as beautiful as you always were," she whispered and pressed a kiss to her cheek. She stood up straight and reached into the drawer of the vanity and pulled out a beautiful blue scarf that Sabriena had bought. She wrapped it around Jenny's head and tied it at the back of her skull. "Now there's one more thing," she said, meeting Jenny's eyes in the mirror. "I want you to come with me to Capsule Corp. Vegeta needs to see you so he can understand. I brought my car with me; I know you don't have the energy to fly right now."

Jenny's eyes widened and she shook her head. "You are out of your mind. If I let him see me like this, he is going to disown me. I'm not the daughter he wants. You can explain that to him, right? That I'll be back around when I'm feeling better?" She looked down at her hands, "I'm not what anyone wants right now. I don't think I could stand it if he… I don't want him to look at me like this."

Catie's eyes bloomed purple for a minute as her temper rose. "You are so lucky you're sick or I would punch you in the nose right now," she said. "Vegeta is not going to disown you. Good God, woman. The hell is wrong with you? I know he can be an ass, but he would NEVER turn his back on you. He never has before! Hell, I think he loves you more than he loves his biological kids." She crouched down and took Jenny's hands in her own again. "Jen, he doesn't understand what's happened. He hasn't seen you. He's not getting it," she said, tapping her own temple to emphasize her words. "And if I just go back and say, 'oh, she's sick, she'll be around when she feels like it,' he's still not going to understand. I know you're tired. And I know you're hurting. And if you wanna beat the hell out of me when you are better, I'll let you have a free shot. Please, come with me. He's your father. He's not going to turn away from you."

Jenny felt her own temper flare for a moment when Catie asked what the hell was wrong with her. But shouting back that she had cancer was a bit of an understatement. She wiped at her eyes and nodded. She wished Bulma or someone had explained to him what she was going through, but then again he was a visual man. Most people were. They heard the word cancer and went, 'oh that's sad' and then moved on with their lives not shedding a tear. "Fine, but if he," she stopped, "I'm going to punch you later."

Catie threw her head back and laughed. "That's my girl!" she grinned and planted a big, smacking kiss on Jenny's forehead and pulled her to her feet. She thought about telling her to get dressed, but then decided fuck it. Pajama pants and a tank were good enough. She looped her arm around Jenny's waist and pulled her arm around her own shoulders as she led her out of the bedroom. She paused outside of the nursery door. "Hey, Piccolo, I'm kidnapping your wife. Be back in a couple hours!" she called and continued on their way.

"Wait, what?!" he cried and bolted to his feet, nearly knocking Paige over as he scrambled to get to the door. He rushed past them and turned to block their way. "What's going on? Jenny, are you okay?" he asked, nearly panicked as he looked her over, thinking that perhaps she needed to go to the hospital for something or that she was somehow hurt. He eyed the scarf on her head. "What happened?"

"She's fine," Catie said in a calming voice, realizing she probably shouldn't have announced them to him like that. "We're just going to go see Vegeta for a minute. He hasn't seen her in a while. She'll be fine, I promise. I won't let anything happen to her."

Piccolo breathed heavily through his nose for a moment, but nodded. Perhaps it would be good for his wife to get out for a minute and not just to go to the hospital again. "Alright," he finally agreed. He cupped Jenny's face in his hand and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Don't overdo it, okay? And if you get tired, make her bring you straight home."

Jenny chuckled and kissed him again, sighing contentedly. "I promise," she said. "I'll be home for dinner, so you know, don't eat it all." She winked at him, Dende had been teasing her that a mouse ate more than she did now a days. "Let's go, Catie."

* * *

><p>Catie made the trip back to Capsule Corp as quick as she could, knowing that Jenny probably couldn't tolerate a very long visit. She helped her inside and sat her on the couch in the living room. "Okay, you wait here and I'll go find Vegeta. Don't worry, it's going to be fine, okay?" she said softly as Trunks came into the room.<p>

"Hey, there you are," he grinned at Catie. "Where'd you run off to? I thought we were gonna-" he paused in mid-sentence when he saw Jenny sitting there. "Hey," he said softly and hurried over to sit next to her. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever." His tone was hushed as he spoke to her, his blood running cold through his veins at the sight of her.

"Sit with her while I find Vegeta," Catie said and hurried from the room.

Trunks nodded. His mouth worked for a moment as no words seemed to come to his mind. "Jenny, I…" He felt horrible. How hard had this been on her? He felt like kicking himself for not going to see her. He'd just heard that she slept a lot and was afraid of waking her if he dropped by. Now he wished he'd done it anyway.

Jenny chuckled, "Easy, brother. It's okay. I didn't want to see anyone, Catie forced me out at clipper point." She looked at Trunks and reached out with a shaking hand to tug on his hair. "Give me some of this, I need it more than you do," she teased him before she let herself lean against his shoulder. She didn't realize how much she had missed her family until she was among them. "Feels like all I've been doing is going to the hospital and sleeping. I'm wasting away into nothing."

Trunks swallowed the knot in his throat and wrapped his arm around her. He looked at his waist-long hair for a moment. "You want it?" he asked. "You know they make those wigs when people donate their hair. I'd totally do that for you, sis." He gently rubbed her arm as he leaned his cheek on her head. "You look like you're wasting away. You want me to run grab you something to eat? Or is the chemo making you sick?" He'd heard that sometimes the treatments could affect the way food tasted, but he'd never personally known anyone who had undergone chemotherapy before. "Anything you want, you just name it."

Jenny shook her head, the thought of food making her stomach churn. "No thanks. Chemotherapy yesterday put me off my appetite for a while. I can usually eat something substantial a week later, right before I go in for the next dose of treatment," she said, "But I do miss food. All I've been able to eat is soup. Or something that's easy on my teeth and my digestive tract." She sighed. "I want to eat steak and chocolate until I can't possibly take another bite," she said wistfully. Her fingers threaded through Trunks' hair and she thought for a moment what it would look like on her and she shook her head, "Piccolo would kill me if I showed up wearing your hair."

Trunks threw his head back and laughed. "Aw, c'mon, doesn't he think I'm pretty?" he teased and laughed harder at the expression on her face. "Yeah, that might be a little weird. Purple isn't really your color." He snickered and shook his head. "Ah well. The offer stands if you change your mind."

"Trunks, c'mon," Catie said as she stood in the doorway of the living room and Vegeta stepped up behind her.

"Yup," he said, realizing that Jenny would probably want to speak to Vegeta alone. "Love you, sis," he murmured and gave her a squeeze before he got up and followed Catie into the kitchen.

Vegeta was frozen to the spot, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression unreadable. His blood felt like ice water in his veins and his breath caught in his chest. Nothing could have prepared him to see his daughter like that. She was a shadow of herself, far too skinny, dark circles under her eyes, her hands and shoulders shaking as she sat on the couch. This wasn't the bright young woman he remembered. He took a cautious step forward, his arms falling to his sides as he breathed, "The hell?"

Jenny winced at the look he was giving her, the shock. She supposed she should have been used to it, but her family at the Lookout had gotten good at hiding their looks. She looked up at her dad, realizing she had missed him just as much as everyone else. "Hey Daddy," she said weakly, trying to sit up straighter but failing miserably as her strength left her, "Sorry I haven't been around, this thing has been kicking my ass pretty hard. I think I would have preferred your bootcamp again."

He rushed to her, crouching down so fast his knees slammed against the couch. "This is what it did to you?" he breathed, looking her over. He hadn't understood before. He knew it was serious, but he thought the surgery had fixed everything. That the treatment after was just a precautionary measure to make sure it didn't get out of hand again and that it just upset her stomach a little. He never expected her to show up looking so emaciated. Bulma had tried to explain it to him, but he just didn't get it. This earthling disease was foreign to him. Saiyans were able to fight off such things easily, their bodies constantly adapting to overcome any threat; sickness was practically unheard of for them more than an occasional head-cold. "Why didn't you tell me it was this bad?"

She looked down at her hands, not wanting to see his expression, afraid to see disgust or anger. "I didn't want you thinking I couldn't handle it. That I am weak. I didn't want you thinking any less of me for what this has done." She felt tears slipping down her cheeks, beside herself with embarrassment. "I missed you, Daddy. Please don't send me away. I'm sorry I didn't call, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I should have. I'm just so tired all of the time now. I know you hate weakness."

Vegeta took a moment to swallow the hard knot in his throat. He couldn't stand to hear the vulnerability in her voice. "Jennifer," he said, reaching out and taking her chin in his hand to raise her eyes to him. "I would never send you away. When I said you were my daughter, I meant it. I never turn my back on my family." He dragged a rough thumb over her cheek, wiping away the tears there. It frightened him to see her like this. Like she could just slip away from him at any moment. A jolt of anger shot down his spine as he realized there wasn't a damn thing he could do to fix it. He couldn't protect her from this. He realized how serious this was. He could lose her. Oh, his pride be damned. "I missed you, too," he whispered and pulled her into a hug.

Jenny let herself be pulled into his arms, nearly sobbing in relief as he held her tightly. She'd been foolish, thinking that no one would be able to stand to be around her or to look at her illness for all the ugliness it held. She weakly wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder. She wished in that moment that she was all better so she could get out and enjoy life more. To train, to play with her daughters, to spend time with her friends.

Vegeta felt her shoulders jerk as she tried to stop herself from crying. Still holding onto her, he moved to sit next to her on the sofa and pulled her against his side. He heaved a sigh as he thought over his words before he spoke. "Jennifer, sometimes being strong isn't about locking everything away and trying to hide it from your loved ones. Sometimes the true test of our strength is letting go of our pride and letting the ones we care about share some of the burden," he said in a low voice. He turned his face to look at her, an understanding expression on his features. "If you need to cry, then cry. I won't think less of you, my daughter." And he pressed a firm kiss to her forehead.

She let herself relax into his arms, his words bringing more tears to her eyes but this time she didn't try to stop them. They rolled down her cheeks into the soft shirt he wore as she cried her worries and fear. She never would have guessed he would be this understanding, this kind to her. She supposed her fears and criticisms were partially her own. She was angry with herself for not being stronger, for succumbing to this disease in the first place. "Thank you," she sobbed.

"Shhh," he hushed her, letting her cry as he held her. Gods, he wanted to take it all away from her. He was furious that there was nothing they could do. He was even more upset that she had been dealing with this on her own, that he hadn't gone to see her, that he hadn't invested the time to fully understand what she was dealing with. He was painfully reminded that no matter how he viewed her, she was still human. He shook his head. She may have been born human, but in her heart she was a Saiyan now. "You're going to overcome this," he said. "You may not feel it right now, but you are too strong to lose this battle. Never forget, you are the daughter of the prince of Saiyans. This will not defeat you."

She tried to choke back the watery laugh and nodded. She knew she should pull back, but she didn't want to move. She just wanted to curl up and go to sleep in his arms like this. As if he could keep death away from her just by scaring it off. She wanted so much to believe his words, that she could beat this. The hospital staff said she could beat this, that this was like the final dash to the finish line. They forgot to mention all of the obstacles in her way. "I will beat this," she said.

A smirk pulled at Vegeta's lips and he nodded, proud of her. He could see how exhausted she was. He reclined back on the couch and pulled her to lay at his side, letting her rest her head on his chest. "Rest now," he said softly and rubbed gently at her back. With his free hand, he reached into his back pocket and withdrew his phone to do something he should've done a long time ago. He searched for information on this horrible disease so he could educate himself and figure out if there was anything, anything at all, that he could do to ease her pain, to help her recover. He would do absolutely anything for his daughter.


	21. Problem Solving

Vegeta didn't know how long he laid there with Jennifer by his side, just letting her sleep and take whatever comfort he could provide for her. His brain was like a sponge as he soaked up every little detail he could about cancer, its treatment, the side effects of that treatment, anything and everything he could possibly find. It was all rather disheartening. Until he came across one little bit of information that gave him hope. An excitement flared in his chest as he read over it and he quickly shot a text message to Bulma, asking her to come to him in the living room. He didn't want to move and risk waking Jenny up. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't even sure that Bulma knew Jenny was there. He hadn't seen her all afternoon.

Bulma got the text and was almost relieved for the distraction. They were having a problem with one of the fabrication machines in the main building and she had soon found herself in grease and a rip in one of her favorite work pants. Ah well. She found a rag and wiped her hands off and went into the main house. She paused when she entered the living room, her breath catching when she saw Jenny curled up asleep at Vegeta's side. "Oh, the poor thing! Look at her, nothing but skin and bones," she said as she hurried over, dropping next to the couch. She fingered the edge of the scarf that covered her head. Bulma had figured it wasn't going to be a pretty recovery, but this was worse than she was expecting. She looked at her husband with a respect in her eyes, "What can I get for you, hon? I see you have your hands full."

"This," he said, handing her his phone with the website still on it. "It says it'll help her appetite and the nausea she's dealing with. I don't know where to buy it; I can't find anything on that damn internet about how to purchase it. I don't care what it costs. If it helps her, spare no expense." He was rather proud of himself, to tell the truth. Why had no one else thought of this or suggested it? They could have prevented her from losing so much weight if they'd done this sooner.

Bulma took the phone and nearly fell over when she saw what he was talking about. She rubbed at her face and then looked back up at him with a skeptical look. "Pot. You want me to buy pot for her?" She worked her lip, looking at her daughter, in truth it was probably a good idea but of all things… "Well, for one thing dear, it's an illegal substance so you aren't really going to find it for sale online because normally people would rather avoid being arrested. However, there are ways to go about getting it. Probably would help her out, the poor thing."

Vegeta fixed Bulma with a look that said, 'Really?' He drew a long breath through his nose to keep his patience with his wife. "And since when do I give two shits about earthling laws? The only reason I respect any of them is because you keep insisting it will be a pain in your ass if I destroy half the city with my training. Or in traffic," he muttered under his breath. He rolled his eyes and looked at her again. "Illegal or not, if it will help her, get it. As much of it as you possibly can." He looked down at his daughter's head on his chest and a small, affectionate smile pulled at his lips. "This is the only thing we can do to help her, Bulma."

Bulma shook her head, "Ya big softie." She looked at Jenny for a moment before she nodded. "I'll see what I can do. I seem to remember hearing Seventeen saying something about knowing a few people. I'll get on the phone with him and see what he can come up with. Now if I get this, you have to promise to use it sparingly. Otherwise I think you'll end up eating the world's supply of food in less than a week," she said as she stood up, leaning over and placing a quick kiss to his lips. She pulled out her cell phone and punched in a number, "How soon do you want this stuff?"

"Now," he answered firmly. Jenny was not leaving his sight until he was certain she had a full stomach. It killed him to see her so thin, to feel her bones under his palm as he rubbed her back. "And you better put in a call to some restaurants. If I have my way, she'll eat more in one setting than Kakarot could ever dream of."

"Oookay," Bulma said, a smile tugging at her lips as she pressed the phone to her ear. "I think I can manage that. Hey Seventeen, what are you doing? You still have that hookup? Cause I got a deal for you."

Seventeen sat up straighter on the couch in his apartment, his eyebrows raised nearly into his hairline. "Bulma? Uh, yeah. I know a guy. W-Why?" he asked in disbelief. Bulma had never asked for something like this from him. "You finally decide to get Vegeta high so he'll calm the fuck down for a minute?"

"You are hilarious, but no. You know that Jenny's been doing the chemotherapy, right? Well, it's hit her pretty hard and she's over here right now. Poor thing looks like she hasn't had a decent meal in a while, told Vegeta that the nausea is so bad she can't eat very much if she's eaten at all."

"Ahhhh, so it's for medicinal purposes," he grinned. He shot a wink at Leelee as she gave him a curious look. "You just say how much and when and I'll hook ya up. Not a problem. Anything for Jenny."

Bulma smirked, "As much as you can get. I'll throw in enough and a little extra for you. Money is not an issue, you got it? Can you get it here this afternoon? You can even stay for a little bit, it might make Jenny feel better if she's around friends."

"Hell yeah," Seventeen agreed happily. "Gimme an hour or so, and Leelee and I will be right over." He hung up the phone and shot Leelee a mischievous grin. "Wanna find out what happens when you get a Saiyan high?"

* * *

><p>It was only a short time later when Seventeen and Leelee strolled up the walk to Capsule Corp and let themselves in. Leelee's purse bulged with the gallon-sized ziplock bag inside. Seventeen grinned when he saw Bulma there, sitting on the floor next to Vegeta who still had Jenny sleeping at his side. "I think we got enough to last her awhile," he said and pulled the large bag of green plant matter out of Leelee's purse to display proudly.<p>

Vegeta slightly narrowed his eyes and cocked an eyebrow at Seventeen. "Of all people, it would be you," he deadpanned.

"Eh, I couldn't go completely straight, Vegeta. There's no fun in that," he chuckled and moved to sit on the floor next to Bulma. His smile faded when he saw Jenny. "Man, she does look like she needs this. What's Piccolo think of this whole plan?"

Bulma chuckled and handed over an envelope with cash in it, taking the bag in exchange. She opened it up and nodded at the amount and quality. "You have a good contact. Did you bring a bong or anything?" she asked, ignoring Vegeta's curious look.

"Did I bring a bong? No, I just expected you guys to graze on the shit. OW!" he cried as the back of Vegeta's knuckles connected with his eye.

"Don't be rude to my wife," the Saiyan growled.

Seventeen cringed and rubbed at his face. "Sorry, Bulma," he muttered before he dug in Leelee's oversized purse again and withdrew a bong and a bottle of cold water.

"Go ahead and wake her up dear. I'm going to place a call to a few restaurants." Bulma looked at Leelee and Seventeen, "Any requests?"

"We'll eat whatever. We're not picky."

Vegeta watched as Seventeen started messing with the odd-shaped piece of glass in his hands. He rubbed at Jenny's shoulder, waking her from her sleep. "Get up," he said quietly. He sat up, pulling her to sit with him. "I think I found a way to help you feel better."

Jenny whined a bit before she blinked her eyes, jumping a little bit when she saw the three extra people there sitting on the ground. "What's going on?" she asked tiredly as her dad help her sit up on her own. It took her a moment but she recognized what Seventeen was messing with and she muttered, "I'm still asleep." She looked at Leelee and smiled, "What are you doing in my dream?"

Leelee looked around and shrugged. "The more important question is if this is a dream, why aren't we all naked yet?"

Vegeta groaned and covered his face with his hand before peeking through his fingers at Bulma. "There wasn't ANYONE else you could have called to get this stuff?" He shook his head and let his hand drop back down into his lap. He watched as Seventeen packed the little metal bowl with the weed and then pulled a lighter from his pocket. Vegeta felt a nervousness coil in his stomach and he fixed Jenny with an intense stare. "This is only until you get better. I don't want to see you get hooked on this, you understand? But it'll help you be able to eat, so you're going to do it."

Jenny stared at him for a moment before she broke into a fit of giggles. "Wow, yeah, I'm sure I am dreaming now. Parents got me pot to get me high." She frowned as she watched Seventeen. She'd told Gramma no when the old woman suggested she use marijuana to help her with her appetite. But that was before the chemotherapy had gotten really bad. She didn't want to be viewed like her sister, she didn't want to get hooked on it either. But something about Vegeta insisting that she use it made her realize that this WAS the last resort. And his approval somehow made it okay.

She reached out for the bong when Seventeen offered it to her. "I'm guessing you all are partaking as well? You'd better, I want to see you all get wasted with me." Her eyes widened, "Oh, we should get Piccolo. I wonder if he would eat something if he got high." She shook her head and fumbled with the lighter as her hands shook. She finally got it going and held it to the bowl, inhaling as she watched the little dried leaves start to smoke and glow brightly. She closed her eyes and inhaled the smoke, listening to the water bubble as she pulled the bowl out of the contraption. She held it in her lungs as she pulled back and handed it off to someone before she leaned back and let the smoke out slowly. She went into a fit of coughing as it circulated through her lungs, hacking for a moment.

Vegeta looked at her with alarm. He watched her for a moment more before he relaxed as he realized she was okay. He watched with curiosity as Seventeen and Leelee each took a hit before they handed it to him. He didn't know exactly what to expect, but if Jenny wanted him to do it, then he would. He mimicked their actions and finally pulled the bowl away as a huge rush of sweet-tasting smoke filled his throat. His face screwed up as he fought the urge to cough and he handed it back to Jenny, holding his breath. He tried to exhale slowly, but his lungs betrayed him and he choked. He pressed a fist to his mouth as the worst coughing fit of his life hit him. Good lord, it felt like his lungs had completely dried up and were on fire. "The fuck," he coughed, pausing and choking again. "How the fuck is that supposed to make you feel better?!"

Bulma took the bong from Jenny and helped herself to a hit, leaning back and exhaling a moment before she handed it back to her daughter. "Takes a moment for it to get into your system. Coughing is good, means you did it right," she said, letting herself cough a moment and watched as Jenny took another hit. "I should make brownies with this," she said with a thoughtful look and leaned back against the couch.

Jenny coughed again as she passed off the bong, "I really must be dreaming, sharing this with you guys. Thank you. I hope this works. I'm going to put Dad to shame eating all that food when the cravings hit."

Seventeen was impressed. "Never would've figured you and Bulma for potheads," he snickered at Jenny. He snickered when Leelee slapped his arm. He took another long hit and passed the bong again before he leaned back on his elbows and swallowed before exhaling a long stream of thick smoke. His brain was starting to go foggy and a lazy smile pulled at his lips. "Now we just need junk food and video games and we're set."

Vegeta scrubbed at his face as a strange sensation started to flood his system. He felt relaxed, sort of buzzed, but it was different than the effects of alcohol. He took another turn, not choking this time and he reclined back against the couch, his tail uncurling from around his waist and flicking contentedly on the seat next to him. It was an odd, yet pleasant feeling. He stretched out a bit more and grinned at his wife.

Bulma chuckled at him and shook her head as she took another hit. "Well look at you, I'm guessing you're starting to feel it, huh?" she asked. "Great, we are all doomed." She reached out and caught his tail with her fingers, watching it flick around as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world.

Vegeta snickered and reached out to tickle Bulma's nose with the tip of his tail. He laughed out loud when she sneezed. He tried to fight the smile on his face, but he couldn't stop himself. Oh, it was weird to relax so much, to not care what the others thought, and for everything to be so goddamn amusing. He looked at Jenny and held his tongue between his teeth as he concentrated and reached over with his tail to tickle her ear.

Jenny found herself smiling for the first time in a long while as she took another hit before handing the bong to Seventeen for him to refill the bowl. Tears came to her eyes as she realized something for the first time since she had started chemotherapy. "I'm hungry. Really hungry," she said as tears of happiness slipped down her cheeks and she looked at her friends and family. She gasped out in shock, "I'm actually hungry."

Seventeen threw a fist in the air. "VICTORY!" he shouted, and then clapped a hand to his mouth with wide eyes. "That was really loud," he whispered and fell on his side, snickering to himself.

Leelee moved to hug Jenny. "This is the best non-naked dream ever," she giggled and fell back to her knees, laying in Jenny's lap as she laughed. It was great to hear that her friend had her appetite back. She looked up and rested her chin on Jenny's knee as she stared at Vegeta. "Look at him," she snickered and pointed at the Saiyan. "He's so fucking stoned."

Vegeta lazily extended his middle finger to her and she threw her head back and laughed again. "Bulma," he said. "Bulma. Bulma! Get us some food. I'm fucking starving." His stomach rumbled loudly as a hunger pain tore through him. He didn't think he'd ever been so hungry in his life. He pulled his phone out again and blinked at it. "Yeah, I can't work this thing right now," he muttered and let it drop to the cushion next to him. "Just… call all the restaurants and bring us one of everything," he murmured. He blinked and sat up with a groan as Seventeen offered over the bong once more. "Again?" he asked, but took it and started to draw the smoke into the chamber.

"This time after you inhale, swallow," Seventeen instructed. "It'll really fuck you up."

Vegeta cocked an eyebrow, but did as Seventeen said. His eyes felt heavier as he struggled to hold the smoke in his lungs as long as possible. "Can't believe you just told me to swallow," he said in a very strained voice before he exhaled and he and Seventeen doubled over with laughter.

Bulma laughed so hard and waggled her eyebrows at her husband. She pulled out her phone, looking at it for a moment as she blinked, "One of everything? What are the rest of us going to eat? I'll make it two of everything." She nodded to herself and put a call into some restaurant, she wasn't sure which one, but they had amazing chili cheese fries she was certain. She ordered extra of those.

"CHEESE FRIES!" Seventeen exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air before Bulma hung up. "Lots and lots of cheese fries!" He fell flat on his back with a dreamy sigh and stared up at the ceiling. "I wanna buy a beer for whoever invented cheese fries."

"You and fucking cheese fries," Leelee mumbled and moved to lay next to him.

"I've never fucked cheese fries," Seventeen answered, making Leelee snort through her nose with laughter. His face screwed up. "That would hurt. Too hot. Unless you wanna lick the cheese off." He rolled away from her as she started slapping at him.

Vegeta looked at Jenny with half-open eyes. "Why the hell are you friends with those idiots?"

Jenny giggled. "They are a great source of amusement for me," she answered and leaned back against the couch as she took the bong and took a big hit from it, sighing out as she exhaled. "Why didn't we think of this sooner? I could have been stoned this whole time and I would have been better off for it."

Bulma patted her daughter's leg, "Because dear, we wanted to see what other options we had."

Vegeta jumped as the doorbell rang. "Food!" he said excitedly. He clapped a hand to his face a moment later. Dear gods, what had he done to himself? He was acting like Kakarot now. The idea made him fall into an uncharacteristic fit of giggles. "Someone else get it," he managed to say as he laid over and pulled a pillow from the couch over his face. He didn't know who it was that grabbed all those bags of food but the next thing he knew, he found himself scooting to sit on the floor, surrounded by unimaginable amounts of fast food. "Oh my god, that shit killed us and we're in heaven."

Bulma couldn't stop laughing as she helped herself to a container of cheese fries; she had never in her life seen her husband act like this before. It was endearing that he did it for their daughter. She watched as Jenny dug into her food with gusto, her eyes rolling back in her head as she ate for what had to be the first time in weeks. She paused every now and then to take another hit from the bong before she finally pushed her plate and the pot away from her and she rubbed at her belly.

Jenny chuckled, "Gods, I feel like I have a food baby." Her eyes were growing heavy and a smile was on her face, "Feels good to eat again." She giggled and laid down on the floor with her head in her father's lap as she watched him continue to eat, "Where do you put it all?"

"Hollow leg," he answered around a mouthful of food before he snickered again. He paused in his chewing to lean down and plant a big smacking kiss on his daughter's cheek. "I'm glad you're feeling better. I love you." He sat back up and continued to consume every bit of food he could get his hands on, not even looking up when Trunks and Catie walked in.

Trunks froze dead in his tracks at the sight of them sitting on the floor, surrounded by empty food wrappers. "Do I smell pot?" he asked, his big blue eyes blinking widely at them. "OH MY GOD, MY FATHER'S HIGH!"

"Don't judge me," Vegeta growled, leaning over to swipe some cheese fries from Seventeen.

Jenny giggled and waved her hand at them. "Dad thought it would give me an appetite! It did! I ate food! I ate so much food," she said before she reached out, grabbing an onion ring from somewhere and munched on it absentmindedly. "Goku would be so proud," she mused before she fell into a fit of giggles.

"Yeah, I doubt that," Catie said but moved to sit on the floor next to them and helped herself to a burger. She smiled at her sister. "I'm so glad you were able to eat something. See? It's good when I force you out of your bedroom." She peered at Bulma and shook her head when she saw how bloodshot her eyes were. "You're a hot mess."

Bulma smiled widely at her and shrugged her shoulders. "I blame your father, it was his idea." She touched a finger to the tip of her nose, "I'm not telling Piccolo."

"HA! Neither am I," Catie cried. She looked at Jenny. "That's on you, sista. Speaking of which, it's been several hours. He's probably having a freak out. You want me to take you home?"

Jenny giggled and nodded. "I think I'll just come here after my chemo treatments, hopefully I'll start to put back on some weight," she said as she tried to get up but failed miserably. "I need help."

Catie stood and pulled her to stand. "Come on, let's get you home." She grabbed Jenny's face and squished it until her lips puckered. "Piccolo will be so happy to see you smile again."

* * *

><p>Piccolo paced the tile of the Lookout, his only thoughts of Jenny. She'd been gone longer than he thought she would. He wasn't terribly worried, but he was wondering when she would make it home. He hoped she hadn't gotten too sick while she was out. Perhaps she'd fallen asleep while she was there and they were just letting her rest. The girls were already tucked into bed and the first stars were starting to show in the inky black sky.<p>

Piccolo heaved a sigh of relief and his lips split in a smile when the headlights of Catie's car shone across the Lookout. He gave Catie a thank-you wave as Jenny got out of the car and Catie headed for home. He quickly crossed the tile to Jenny and pulled her to him. "I'm glad you're home," he rumbled. "Is everything okay? You were gone for quite a while."

Jenny smiled and hugged her husband. "I didn't mean to worry you. Vegeta, well, he found a way I can eat food again. You might not like it, but they got me some pot. It got rid of my nausea and gave me an appetite. I ate so much," she said as she leaned against him, tears of happiness trailing down her cheeks. "I almost felt normal again. I wish you were there, it was good to see them again."

Piccolo took a moment to drink in her words. He didn't much like the idea of her using that stuff, but if it had allowed her to eat, he wasn't going to say a word about it. His heart swelled as she smiled at him, the first real smile he'd seen on her face in a long time. He bent down and kissed her softly. "As long as it helps you feel better, you do what you need to do," he said.

Jenny nodded and smiled against him, "I know what that stuff did to Lindsey, and to my sister. I am not going to let it rule my life. I swear to you. I have learned my lesson that my life and my family with you is just too precious to be thrown away like that. I just want to feel normal again. I was in heaven, to be able to eat what I wanted and not have to worry about my nausea."

Kacie rolled her eyes as she came out of her room, hearing her sister talking loudly and claiming to feel better. She heard what she said about pot. "So, finally came over to the dark side? So what? You can only eat when you are high? Gods, this is what I told you mom. She's an alcoholic drug addict." She frowned at the scarf on her head, "Wearing a swimming cap and an ugly scarf. News flash, Halloween isn't for a few more weeks. Do they even celebrate Halloween here?"

Piccolo's eye twitched. It seemed to have done that a lot over the past few weeks that Kacie and Karen had been there. He couldn't even have a serious, private conversation with his wife without Jenny's sister butting in. "Do you mind?" he growled at her. "I'm trying to have a conversation with my wife that doesn't involve you."

"What was that, dear?" Karen asked Kacie as she approached them. "What do you mean a drug addict?" She blinked widely at Jenny, seeing that she looked like she felt better. "Oh! You're up and around! Good! I was worried. Why do you have that scarf on? Really, it looks silly. Why don't we just go get you a wig if you're that worried about your hair?"

Jenny felt her attitude dropping and she slid her arm around Piccolo's waist and reached up to take off the scarf. "I'm not wearing a wig," she said, taking some satisfaction at the way her mom's eyes widened.

Kacie was disgusted. "Really? You are taking this too far. Did you really have to shave off all of your hair to just make a point? Or were you too wasted to remember doing it? Gods, you are so selfish!"

"Oh, Jenny," her mother breathed, an obvious tone of disappointment in her voice. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. "What on earth have you done?! That looks ridiculous! Honey, I know your hair was getting a little thin, but there was no reason to do that. That's just… I can't even look at you right now." She shook her head and turned away.

"Then don't look at her," Piccolo snarled, curling his arm around his wife's shoulders. "I've had enough of both of you. We've tolerated your presence here long enough. I think it's time for you to go home. You're not helping the situation at all."

Kacie rolled her eyes, but Jenny didn't miss the way that they lit up. "Good," her sister said, "Come on, Mom, we don't need to be around this bad of an influence. Larry warned you about her. It's appropriate, isn't it? She is a little cancerous growth, leeching off of life."

Jenny felt her anger soar and made to kick at her sister, but Piccolo help her back, "Don't you dare say that about me! I've been through too much to listen to your bullshit and your sixty year old boyfriend's lies. Neither of you care about me at all! You aren't even paying attention to what's happening to me! Get out!" she shouted, her voice going hoarse and raspy. "Get out!" she croaked and her knees buckled.

Karen turned around again to see Jenny sink to the floor. "You don't mean that," she said. "I don't understand why we upset you so much. All we've tried to do is encourage you to get out of the house a little bit. It's not good for you to lock yourself away and be so antisocial all the time. It's not good for your daughters to see you like that! Why are you so angry with us?"

Piccolo scowled. "You're not helping. You exhaust my wife when she needs to be resting so her body can heal. Her life is in danger and all you're doing is making it worse. I've held my tongue and my temper long enough. I will NOT let you do this to my mate. Neither you nor your daughter are welcome here anymore." He turned his attention to Kacie, his temper flaring even more. "And as for you. You have to be one of the most vile creatures I have ever encountered in my life. I have never met anyone as self-absorbed as you. Your sister is battling for her life and the only thing you can do is to sit around and make snide remarks about her and accuse her of things that you pull completely out of your ass. Not one thing you've accused my wife of has any basis in fact. It's all lies. And sick or not, I'm not going to stand for it. You go on home to that boyfriend of yours. I'm sure he and his wife miss you."

Kacie's eyes widened and she growled at her sister, taking a threatening step towards her, "You fucking told him everything, didn't you?" She scowled and looked over at the Namek. "No basis huh? I'd bet a good deal of money that she's high right now. Maybe drunk too. Who knows what else? I know her friends have connections," she spat.

A low growl issued from Piccolo's throat and he grabbed Kacie by the back of her shirt to march her over towards the capsule car she and her mother had arrived in. "Karen!" he barked over his shoulder. "You better get in this car before I stuff you in it, too!" He ignored Kacie's shouts of protest and the look Dende gave him as he yanked open the car door and roughly shoved Kacie into the passenger seat. He leaned down to her, a deadly tone in his voice. "Listen here, you little bitch. If you ever, EVER step foot in this place again, I WILL throw you over the edge. And my brother won't stop me. No force on earth will stop me. And I will take great joy in listening to you scream as you plummet to your death. You understand me?" His energy crackled visibly in the air around him as he spoke.

Karen looked terrified as she wordlessly got into the car. She didn't know what to think or say or do. This trip hadn't gone the way she'd thought it would at all. But she understood that she and her youngest daughter were definitely not welcome anymore. She scrambled for her seatbelt and grabbed the steering wheel, staring straight ahead, not speaking a word.

Jenny watched as they left, taking with them a huge weight that had been on her shoulders since the moment that they had shown up. How could they say those things about her? She couldn't stand them, the way that Kacie doted on her douchebag boyfriend, how he could do no wrong and accused her of things so that he could drive her family apart. The joke was on him. She had a better family. She leaned over, curling up on the cool tile as she let her tears dry. "Finally."

Piccolo went back to his wife and gently helped her to his feet. He felt so much better already. "Don't worry about them. You don't have to put up with them anymore. I'm sick of it. The best they're going to get is a Christmas card once a year, if that. We'll just send a picture of Paige in her Christmas dress flipping them off," he chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her and started to walk down the hallway again. "Don't worry about their belongings they left. I'll pack them up in a capsule and have Rose mail it to them."

He rubbed at her shoulder as they walked. "Now, you were talking about this marijuana before we were so rudely interrupted. Are you sure you can do this without getting addicted to it? I want you to feel better, Jenny. But I don't want it to somehow create more problems down the road."

She nodded and let him lead her back to their room. "I swear to you, I am only going to use the stuff while I'm on this chemotherapy. I just wanted to eat again, it was such a relief. To not feel any nausea either, gods, I thought I was in heaven for a moment."

The unfamiliar sensation of tears prickled at Piccolo's eyes as he sat down on their bed and pulled her to sit next to him. He couldn't believe the relief he heard in her voice, the happiness he could see in her eyes. He found himself nodding at her words, that she would only use it as long as she was on chemo. He looked her over again before his eyes settled on the scarf in her hands. He'd heard the conversation between her and Catie, he knew what they had done. "I'm proud to call you my wife," he said in a low voice as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You're so much stronger than you give yourself credit for."

Jenny leaned into him, reaching up and running a hand over the baldness there. She managed a small smile. "We match now," she said, "It's better this way. I don't want you to, you know, be afraid to touch me. My hair won't fall out on you now."

Piccolo chuckled at her quip about them matching before his expression sobered, looking at her with an affection glowing in his eyes. "You're still as beautiful as the day I met you," he said softly and reached out to her, gently running his hand over her head before he pulled her closer and kissed her again.

Jenny sighed into the kiss, it felt as if it had been forever since they had shared a kiss so gentle, so passionate. "I still remember that day. You threw the cake off the Lookout," she said with a smile, her fingers tracing the edge of his shirt. "You were so handsome. Still are. You haven't aged a day."

He smiled slightly as his heart fluttered. It had been awhile since she had been so affectionate. He kissed at her fingertips before he laid down on the bed and pulled her to lay next to him. A small smirk pulled at his lips and he fixed Jenny with a serious gaze. "You know that cake was poisoned."

She smiled at him and trailed her fingers over his jaw. "Was not, you were just trying to make a statement. Dende ate most of that cake and he's still walking around." She closed her eyes, her body was cold and his was warm. It was so good to be held again without having to worry about him having to worry about her, "Thanks for staying with me through this."

He gave her a curious look, searching her eyes as he tried to understand what she meant. "Of course I'm staying. There's nowhere else in the world that I would be. Don't you know that?" he asked quietly. "I'm not going anywhere. You didn't really think I would leave you, did you?" The idea was absurd to him. She and their daughters were his entire world. He couldn't fathom not being there with them. Something about even entertaining the thought of what it would be like made him ache all over and for a moment he felt like he was the one who was going to be sick.

She shook her head. "No, I know you wouldn't. I just, I mean, if you were in my shoes. Would you wonder the same thing? I could feel you when you accidentally pulled my hair out. I know you never would leave me, and I would never leave you. It's just this sickness, making me think things."

Piccolo sighed and tugged her a little closer to him before he pulled the blankets up around them. He didn't like the way she shivered. She'd already been through so much, the last thing he wanted her to worry about was him. "You tell the sickness to shut up," he ordered. "You have too much to deal with to be worried about a silly thing like that. You can worry about anything you want. But do NOT worry about me. I'm not leaving your side. I don't care how bad it gets. Without you and our girls, I don't know what I would do. You're my whole world now."

He frowned as the gravity of his own words hit him. What would he do if he lost her? He hated this disease. He hated what it did to her. It was like an invisible enemy; one he couldn't protect her from. He couldn't fight it, he couldn't stop it, he couldn't hide her away from it. No amount of training or preparation or bravery on his part could spare her from what she was dealing with. He was starting to feel like a failure now because he couldn't protect the love of his life from the pain, the depression, or the deadly disease that was trying to eat her alive from the inside out.

For a long time, he'd tried to lock away his fear and his anger. He knew in his heart that he could lose her, that she could lose this battle and he would be left to live the rest of his life without his mate at his side. But he kept pushing the thought away, refusing to consciously acknowledge it. As if not dwelling on the matter could somehow make it all disappear. But as he lay there holding his wife, her skinny frame shivering slightly against him, the whole weight of the situation just seemed to hit him. _'She's dying.'_

His eyes slowly slid closed against the tears that burned and threatened to fall. She was fighting for her life, her every ounce of energy and strength battling to survive. He knew his wife was strong. She was brave and intelligent and loving. She was beautiful and determined and loyal and passionate. And he realized in that moment why it had to be her, why fate had given her to this disease; she was the only person he knew who wouldn't end up broken from it. A fierce pride and a sense of determination swelled in his chest at the thought. His wife may have been down, but she wasn't out of this fight yet. She would come back, bigger and better than ever, stronger, fiercer, braver, and she would kick this cancer's ass.

"Look at me," he said in a voice that was barely above a whisper as he cupped her face in his hand and tilted her chin so he could look into her warm brown eyes. "If there's anyone in our family that can beat this thing, it's you. Don't you worry about the rest of us. I want you to focus on what you need to do to get better. You're not going to lose me and I'm not going to lose you." He pulled her closer again and kissed the top of her head. "Don't leave me, Jenny."

She nodded and smiled, happy and tired and full and relieved all the same. "Not planning on it, dear," she whispered back as she reached up and wiped away the tears brimming in his eyes. "Not planning on it at all." She closed her eyes, her body slowly stopped shivering as she took in the warmth from her mate. "I love you," she murmured as she finally let sleep take her.


	22. One Little Slip

"You ready for this?" Tora smiled down at Marron as a nurse helped the little girl into a wheelchair. It was her first day of physical therapy, the first major step towards letting her come home. He was a bit nervous for her, to be honest. Marron could still move, but her muscles had atrophied just enough to make everything difficult for her and walking nearly impossible. They just needed to build her muscles up a little bit again. When Eighteen had caught him and Marron with their faces covered in ice cream the day before, it wasn't because they were messy. It was because Marron was having a hard time bringing the spoon to her mouth and Tora decided to make a game of it and smeared the ice cream on his own face twice as bad so she would laugh instead of cry.

The nurses seemed to think therapy would take a few weeks, but then Marron could go home and continue with outpatient therapy only if needed. It gave Tora hope. Eighteen's spirits were certainly brighter and his own were as well. They laughed at themselves because neither one of them could seem to stop smiling.

Marron nodded excitedly. "I'm ready to get out of here," she said. "It feels like I've been here forever." She looked around as they wheeled her down to the physical therapy room. She shrank back at all the stuff that was in there. Handle bars in a row down a length of the room, balls, weights and a few other things she couldn't name. Something tugged at the back of her mind and she looked over at her mother, "Don't we have a room like this at home?"

Eighteen looked at Marron, surprised, but happy. "Yes, yes we do. You remember that, honey?" She remembered bringing most of their workout stuff from the Kame house after Krillin passed away. Most of it was his, but she set it up in a gym room and worked out in it every day when she could. Marron had come and helped her count her reps on many occasions.

Marron nodded. "Kinda. I definitely remember those," she said as she pointed to the weights in the corner of the room.

Tora grinned. "See? She'll remember everything in no time," he said confidently. He shot a wink at Eighteen before he stepped back a bit to give the nurse some room to work as she stopped at the end of the handrails and helped Marron to stand, placing her hands on the rails and giving her instructions. Tora chewed his lip, watching carefully, prepared to grab Marron at any moment if it looked like she would falter. As it was, she looked nervous and unsure of herself as she wobbled on her feet, gripping the rails as tightly as her little hands would let her. "Give it a try, baby," Tora encouraged. "You can do it."

Marron scrunched up her face as she gripped the handrails tightly, her little knuckles white with the effort as she did. Her foot didn't seem to want to do what she told it to, didn't want to step exactly where she wanted to place it.

Eighteen crouched at the end of the rails, holding her arms out to her little girl. It was almost endearing the way Tora looked at her, encouraging her on. She never would have believed it. A few short months ago, if someone had told her this was where she would be, she would have punched them. "Maybe when we get you out of here, baby girl, we can take you on a play date with Paige and Alice. They'll get you back up and running in no time."

Tora felt like he was having a hard time breathing as he stared anxiously at Marron, almost as if trying to will her legs to work for her. _'Come on, Marron,'_ he thought, _'You can do this. Move your leg.'_ It was hard for him to understand completely. Saiyans always healed so fast and never had a problem with any kind of physical movement. Their strength very rarely failed them. To see her struggling to even take a first step was disheartening. "Try, Marron. I know you can do this."

Marron nodded and focused as hard as she could. It was as if her legs had fallen asleep and now they wouldn't wake up. Pins and needles ran through her as she finally took the first step. She grinned down at it. It was a little lopsided, but she had done it. Looking back up, her face fell when she saw how far she had to go. Tears welled in her eyes as she caught sight of the clock, it had taken her five minutes to do just that first step. "How long do I have to do this? Can't we go home and do this, Mommy?"

Eighteen felt her heart drop a little bit and she lowered her hands a little. "This is only for a little while more, Marron. If you make it to me, we can take a break and we can get a treat," she said, looking at the clock herself. It was going to be a while, but her daughter was awake and that was all that mattered. Everything would come together eventually.

"Ha!" Tora laughed triumphantly. "They say the first step is the hardest. You'll be running down that thing before you know it." He leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest as he smiled at her. He watched as she looked down at her feet, willing them to move, finally taking another step. "She's strong like you," he murmured to Eighteen, a definite tone of approval in his voice.

Eighteen gave him a smile, turning her attention back to her daughter, speaking softly, "She's strong like her father." She felt a comfort somehow, thinking about it that way. She could almost imagine Krillin helping her down the pathway. Tora standing to the side, cheering her on and she at the finish line, waiting for them all to get there. Her mind flickered to Jenny, wondering how her path to the finish line was going as well. Marron tripping on her next step shook her from her thoughts and she gave a cry as she saw her girl falling towards the floor.

Tora moved so fast, he might as well have vanished. He caught Marron before she hit the floor. "Easy," he soothed, seeing her face turn red in embarrassment and frustration. He stood her upright, ignoring the surprised expression on the physical therapist's face. "It's okay. We all slip sometimes," Tora said softly. "All that matters it that you keep going. You focus on your goal. On that finish line." He turned and pointed towards Eighteen at the end of the walk. "You're tough. You can do anything you set your mind to. Now don't get upset. Do it again." He stood up straight and stepped back, his hands on his hips as he looked expectantly at her.

Marron rubbed at her eyes a moment before she looked up at him, seeing his determined face, the solid resolve there. She nodded and looked at her mother again, gripping the railing tight as she kept on working through her seemingly numb legs. They felt more like jelly than anything, but with each step she took, a miniscule amount of feeling returned to her and she strove to do it again, and again, and again.

Eighteen cheered as her daughter finally made it to her arms and she scooped up her little girl and twirled her around. "You did it! I'm so proud of you, baby girl!" She looked at Marron, seeing the exhaustion on her face from such a simple task, but she had to remind herself that this was hard for someone like her. "You did amazing."

Tora grinned and ruffled Marron's hair. "Told ya you could do it," he grinned. His heart swelled with pride and he was tempted to hug them both, but then thought better of it. He stepped back and smiled. "Now you just gotta practice."

* * *

><p>They spent the rest of the afternoon in the physical therapy room, working with Marron. Not only focusing on her legs, but her arms as well, picking up items, trying to write or manage a spoon better. By the time they returned to her room, the poor little thing was exhausted.<p>

Tora helped tuck her in bed and read her one of the stories he'd read to her while she was still sleeping. He didn't make it very far into the story before she was nodding, her eyes heavy. He chuckled and closed the book. "Rest. I'll be back in the morning," he promised and brushed her hair out of her face. "I'm so proud of you, Marron." He smiled and turned to Eighteen. "I guess I'd better get going."

Eighteen smiled at him as he tucked her daughter into bed. She looked towards the door and then thumbed at it. "Come on, I'll walk you out to your bike," she said and started down the hallway. "You were really great today." She crossed her arms as she passed all the familiar nurses in the wing, giving them small waves. "You going to be back tomorrow? I know how you like to go training every so often. I think it would mean a lot to Marron if you were there for her."

"Yeah, I'll be back tomorrow," he answered. He looked down at her as they walked and he spoke what he'd been thinking for two days now. "You know, Eighteen, you're really beautiful when you smile. I think I could stare at your smile for days." He reached over and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear as they walked out the front doors. He turned suddenly and grabbed her hands, pinning her against the side of the building. "You never did let me kiss you," he said huskily and leaned in, pressing his lips to hers before she even had a chance to react.

Eighteen's eyes widened as she suddenly was forced against the wall of the building, his body pressing up against hers. His lips were hot and firm against her own. Her body suddenly ached at the hardness she felt pressed up against her; she hadn't felt a man's touch since the night before Krillin died. She had missed this. A small moan escaped her lips before she pressed back against him, kissing back. It was like a forbidden fruit.

Encouraged by her moan, Tora tilted his head and parted his lips, deepening their kiss. He grabbed the back of her thigh and lifted her leg as he pressed himself harder against her, a low groan rumbling deep in his chest as he felt her heat against his rapidly hardening length. She tasted impossibly sweet as their tongues danced together and he bunched his fingers in her hair, holding her there. He shivered against her and finally had to pull back, a smirk on his face as he saw how red and swollen her lips were from his kiss. "See you in the morning," he said heavily and he turned on his heel, striding over to his bike. He shot her a wink as he straddled it, then swung it out into traffic, disappearing down the street.

Eighteen was left gasping as he suddenly left her, coldness rushing over her body where he had been pressed up against her. Her core ached and she was left wanting. She pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm her pounding heart. Was this alright? To feel this way? Gods, she bit her lip, she wanted him. Or she really really needed to get laid.

* * *

><p>It took Tora a long time to fall asleep that night. His mind was full of thoughts of Eighteen, how good she felt in his arms, how sweet her kiss was. He tossed and turned until he finally fell asleep. But he didn't sleep long. He awoke to the feeling of being watched and gave a shout of surprise when he saw Eighteen standing by his bed. "The hell?" he asked, rubbing at his eye with the heel of his hand. "Eighteen? Is everything okay? What are you doing here?"<p>

Eighteen moved quickly, straddling him on the bed and pinning his arms to the mattress. She leaned down and quickly captured his lips before breathing to his ear, "I couldn't wait until tomorrow to see you." She grinded her hips against his as she reached down and threaded her fingers through his hair, "You owe me a show, if I remember correctly."

It was Tora's turn to be breathless. His body immediately awoke to her touch as she ground herself against him. "Oh gods, Eighteen," he moaned, lifting his hips to her. He licked his lips as he looked at her, feeling her weight on top of him. His hands skimmed down her sides and came to a rest on her hips, pulling her down harder against him. "Baby," he gasped, "You're making me hard." He rocked his hips against the sheet that separated them; he was already naked beneath it. "Ohhh, I want you."

Eighteen smiled at him as she rocked down on him. She couldn't stop moaning against him, feeling the hardness pressing up against her core. Her hands moved to her jeans which she quickly unbuttoned and shimmied out of them, tossing them to the side. Her hands went to her shirt which she pulled over her head. She grabbed his hands and pressed them to her breasts. "Take me," she breathed, looking down at him, a gleam in her eyes.

A violent shiver shook his frame as he cupped her breasts in his hands, flicking his thumbs over her nipples. "Oh fuck yeah," he breathed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him as he pressed his face between her breasts. His lips sought out her nipple and sucked on the taut flesh as he kicked aside the sheet separating them. He moaned wantonly as he felt her wet heat against his length. He slipped his hand down to tease at her sex, furiously rubbing her clit before he slid his finger into her, moaning again at how tight and slick she felt. He couldn't wait to be inside her and his cock throbbed in anticipation.

Eighteen tilted her head back as Tora slipped a finger inside of her, his mouth over her nipple, teasing her relentlessly. "Gods, yes," she moaned as she rock on him, feeling his finger brush against her g-spot. "Yes. Right there!" she cried and reached down between them, taking his hard length in her hand. She couldn't stifle the gasp that made it out of her throat. He was different than she thought. Her mind remembering a firm length but not nearly as long and thick as the one she felt now. She teased the head against her slick folds. She wanted this. She needed it.

Tora threw his head back and hissed as his back arched, lifting himself against her touch. "Please," he begged. "Please, please, please. Eighteen, I need you." He grasped her hips again and slowly pulled her down over his cock until he was seated fully within her tight heat. A growling moan escaped his throat as he thrust up against her, his toes curling at how impossibly tight she was on his thick length. "Fuck me, baby. Oh gods, you feel so good on my cock."

Eighteen's vision flashed white before her eyes as she found herself fully impaled on his cock, there was a moment where her mind went to Krillin, but it vanished the next. The pleasure was exquisite and she carefully rocked back and forth on him before she lifted herself up and slowly slid herself down again. "Tora," she moaned softly.

His body tensed and his cock swelled, aching and throbbing within her at the sound of his name on her lips. "Eighteen," he answered. He thrust up against her, meeting her body as she lowered herself on his cock again. He sat up, pulling her against his chest, and began to bounce her a little faster on his cock. His tail snaked its way around to her, caressing her. "Touch my tail," he begged softly as he kissed at her neck and pinched her nipple in his fingers.

She tilted her head, giving him better access to her neck as she reached out, her fingers curling around the soft fur of his agile tail. She sighed at its touch to her body, moving the tip to caress her nipples before she brought it up to her lips and bit lightly at it. She smirked as she saw him tense with tremors with each touch, "You like this, don't you? You like having this pulled." She gave it a short tug.

A shout of pleasure rang out from his voice as she teased his sensitive tail. "Yes," he whimpered, bucking up into her harder, faster. Oh gods, he couldn't remember ever experiencing pleasure quite like this before. A deep purr rumbled in his throat for only a short moment before he nipped lightly at her neck and gave a hard thrust into her body. "Careful, you're going to make me come," he warned.

Eighteen moaned louder as she felt him harden even more inside of her and she stroked his tail harder, reaching down with a hand to tease his nipples. "That's right, come for me," she said, her voice thick with pleasure. Gods, it had been an age since she had been this full. He pressed so deeply inside of her, filling her to the brim. Her body couldn't take the sheer amount of pleasure and she crested with his next thrust, her muscles cramping down tightly on his cock.

"EIGHTEEN!" Tora roared as he came, his cock pumping thick white ropes of cum deep into her body. "Oh fuck!" He thrust roughly into her a couple more times until they were both gasping and panting. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to fight the trembling in his body. "Holy shit," he breathed. "Baby, you're so good. Best I ever had."

Eighteen fell forward, draping herself over him, she closed her eyes and relished in the feeling of his cock pulsing deeply inside of her. "Mmm," she agreed. Her body ached, sated for the moment. She let his tail slip from her hand as she came down from her high, feeling exhaustion starting to curl around her. "This isn't a dream, is it?" she asked.

Tora laid back, pulling her to rest on his chest. "No, this is real," he answered, running his hand up and down her spine. He was still hard within her, but he was content to lay there for a moment while they both drank in the reality of what they'd just done. His hand slid lower, drifting over the smooth, rounded flesh of her ass. He couldn't believe she'd come to him in the middle of the night like this. But he was glad she did. He squeezed the flesh under his palm, massaging it. "I could do this all night long with you. All you've done now is whet my appetite."

Eighteen hissed in pleasure as his hands kneaded her flesh. She squeezed him tightly inside of her, relishing in the feeling of his girth inside of her. "I suppose that was a good start, not sure if you want it that much," she said as she slowly thrust against him. "Fuck me like you mean it," she challenged, wanting him to just go all out and give her a good hard fucking.

Tora heard the challenge in her voice and it made his blood sing. He swiftly rolled over her and grabbed her wrists, pinning them over her head as he drove his cock deeply into her. He held her like that, pressing her hard into the mattress. "Are you sure about that? I have yet to meet a woman on this planet that can handle a good, hard Saiyan fucking," he challenged back. He slowly pulled back before he snapped his hips forward, moaning loudly. A tremor ran through his body before he pulled back and did it again, watching her reaction.

Eighteen's back arched up into him as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist. Gods, he was so big, every thrust brushed against that spot inside of her making her see stars. She bared her teeth at him, leaning her head up and catching his lips in a heated kiss. Her voice was bordering on feral when she spoke, "That's more like it."

Encouraged by her words, Tora let go of his restraint as he hammered his cock into her, his eyes squeezed shut as the low moans and grunts escaped his lips. Good gods, that felt amazing. Her slick, velvet heat engulfed him, taking him all the way to the hilt with every thrust. He dipped his head to suck and lightly bite at her nipples, goosebumps erupting over his skin at her screams of pleasure. "That's it, baby. Take it. You know you love it," he breathed heavily as he fucked her into the mattress.

Eighteen could barely breathe as she was pressed deeper into the bed, the weight of the Saiyan on her, the thickness of his cock stealing her breath from her. She leaned up, nipping at his skin, smirking at the angry red marks that appeared in retaliation, "Are you impressed yet?" She screamed out as he thrust again and again, harder and faster.

"Very," he gasped out. He suddenly pulled out of her and grabbed her hip, rolling her over in front of him. He braced himself on all fours above her and leaned down to nip at her ear. "Now you show me how badly you want it," he commanded. "Fuck yourself on my cock." He reached down with one hand to steady himself behind her, his heart racing with excitement. Gods, this was what he needed, a woman who could handle him, who wanted it as bad as he did.

Eighteen moaned as she pushed herself backwards, fucking herself on him, setting a furious pace that had matched his own. She wanted to lose herself in his body, forget everything that had been going on in the past few days, weeks, months, year. She needed this break from reality. She needed something for herself. She hadn't indulged since her husband had died. Sure, her fingers worked just as well on some nights, but this. There was no substitute for this. She briefly wondered if she would regret her decision later, if sleeping with this Saiyan would make her feel guilty. As if Krillin were watching her and disappointed in her choice, that out of all the people on earth, she picked this one to scratch the itch she had and couldn't ignore. She growled and redoubled her efforts, moaning as she felt the cock inside of her swelling, spreading her further than she had thought possible. She only felt pleasure.

Tora loved her enthusiasm, the way her body so greedily swallowed him up as she thrust herself back against him. He held steady, just bracing his large frame over the top of her, letting her have her way with his body. He couldn't believe this was happening and he thanked his stars for his fortune. She was everything he sought in a woman - independent, strong, beautiful, intelligent, passionate. Oh, he could see many more nights spent just like this, testing each other, seeing how much the other could handle. He moved his hands to cover hers, entwining their fingers together. Somehow, it seemed to make their joining more intimate to him. He leaned his face into her hair, nuzzling against the back of her neck. "Nnnnnngh, yeah," he breathed. "Fuck me. Fuck me hard." He curled his tail around her and trailed the tip of it along the valley between her breasts, down her stomach, before he used it to tease at her clit.

Stars flashed in front of her eyes as his incredible tail stroked along her clit, making her clench harder around him in pure bliss. If this was going to be a one-time thing, she was going to make sure that she remembered it and that she wasn't left wanting. This was going to last her a long while if it was only to be once. She didn't know if she wanted more nights with him, but she would be willing to find out. She looked at their fingers entangled together, feeling his lips on the back of her head. It was a small slice of paradise as she thrust back over him, feeling her climax building again. "I'm so close," she breathed.

"Come for me," he purred in her ear, nipping at her back, admiring the red imprints his teeth left behind on her skin. His chest still burned deliciously from where she'd bitten at him, not breaking the skin, but oh so dangerously close. He loved the sensation, his Saiyan blood on fire for this incredible woman. His cock swelled, aching for release, and he fought against the orgasm that pressed upon him. He wanted her to come first. His length twitched and throbbed inside her, a bit of hot precum splurting from the tip. "Gods, you're so tight," he breathed, "You're so wet for me. You have no idea how good you make my cock feel." He finally thrust against her, driving his cock deeper than before, their bodies jarring together as they fucked. "Eighteen! Come for me!" he begged, his head going dizzy with pleasure as he struggled against himself.

Eighteen clenched around the length inside of her, the heat blooming in her, washing over her g-spot, pushing her over that blissful edge. "Krillin!" she screamed out in her bliss as she orgasmed, her muscles contracting over Tora's hardness as she did. Her eyes snapped open the moment the name slipped from her lips before she moaned and lowered her head to the mattress, feeling the cock inside of her pulsing deliciously.

Tora couldn't stop himself from coming, but the name he heard on her lips made his heart sink. He stilled inside her, waiting for his body to finish before he pulled back and sat on his heels to look at her as his erection wilted. That was a new experience, having an orgasm while being turned off. He found it left him feeling unsatisfied, but at the moment, he didn't care. He bit the corner of his mouth for a moment, debating on what to do or say next. He mentally slapped himself. It wasn't him she wanted. And while casual sex had never bothered Tora before, it bothered him now because he actually cared for this woman. Or more so, it bothered him that she wasn't even thinking of him as they had sex. She was thinking of Krillin.

He swung his long legs off the bed and moved to pull on some pants. His mind raced, trying to think of what to say. He'd never felt hurt like this before. "So, ah, I think I'm gonna make some coffee," he said with his back still to her. He thought about pulling on a shirt, but then decided it didn't matter. "I'll be in the kitchen if you want some. I'll, you know, leave you alone so you can get dressed," he said and left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Eighteen felt horrible as she let her head fall to the mattress below her. "Damn it," she breathed and pushed herself up, feeling Tora's seed slipping from her body. She hadn't meant to call out Krillin's name, but she was just so used to doing that. It had always been him there with her before. She had done it instinctually. It was habit. She stood up and pulled on her clothes quickly, she needed to apologize, she needed him to understand why. Eighteen exited the room, smelling the fresh coffee in the air as she walked to the kitchen, rubbing at her hair. She watched Tora for a moment, enjoying the view, the muscled back, his tail, the messy hair, "Hey."

"Hey," he answered over his shoulder without looking at her. He reached into the cabinet and withdrew two coffee cups. He didn't know why he was so upset. He should've expected something like this; Krillin was just about the only thing she talked about. He knew she still loved her husband and he didn't hold that against her. But part of him had hoped that just for one night, she could put Krillin out of her mind and focus on him instead. He wrapped his tail tightly around his waist as he poured a cup and turned to offer it to her. "Here," he said as he grabbed a cup for himself. He didn't know what to say to her.

Eighteen took the cup and sat down at the table, looking down into the hot liquid, thinking a moment before she spoke, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to call his name. That," she paused at the admission, "This was the first time I've had sex since he died." She felt like that was hardly an excuse, taking a sip of her coffee. "I wanted to be with you. You've been more than supportive these past few months and I know I have been giving you a cold shoulder with no excuse for it."

Tora shrugged nonchalantly and gave her a grin. "No worries," he said. "I get it. You miss Krillin. You still love him. It's not a big deal, Eighteen." He leaned against the counter as he sipped his coffee, trying to keep his expression and movements casual, like it didn't bother him. He took a big swallow of coffee before he lowered the cup and shot her a cocky smile. "Really. We should do it again sometime, doll."

Eighteen looked up at him, catching his eyes. She could see a strain back in his eyes. She gave him what she hoped was a sincere look, honest, "I would like that." She bit her lip, thinking before she spoke, "If I didn't put you too off your game, the night is still early..."

He searched her eyes, seeing the sincerity there. She really hadn't meant to do it, but still, it had happened. He wasn't sure if he was in the mood now or not. He was tempted to, gods knew he was tempted to. If he turned her down now, would that ruin his chances of ever having her again? But if he gave in, would he just be opening himself up to be hurt again? He didn't know what to do.

He raised his coffee cup, drinking slowly from it to buy himself a moment to think over his options. She was even more beautiful to him now, with her hair a mess and the almost vulnerable expression in her eyes as she apologized to him. Something in his chest twinged, making him want her more. But he was surprised to find that it wasn't in a physical sense. His eyes slid shut as he cursed his Saiyan nature. Everything was a challenge. Befriending her was a challenge, and he'd accomplished that. Taking their relationship further than friendship was a challenge, and he'd managed that now, too. And yet it wasn't enough. Was it the competitiveness in him that called for him to win her heart? Or was it because he truly cared for her so much?

He finally set his cup down and smacked his lips. "Ah, I dunno," he said, glancing pointedly at the clock on the wall. "It's actually pretty late. I got a long day tomorrow. I really should get some rest." He nearly winced at the look on her face. "Maybe we could get together this weekend or something," he suggested.

Eighteen gave him a smile, a small relief washing through her knowing that she would have a second chance to make things right. "I would like that," she said softly. "I think this is just a chapter I need to close in my life, this one part hasn't been addressed yet." She rubbed at her eyes. "I feel like a real bitch right now," she said, looking over at him, watching him carefully with her ice blue eyes.

Tora shook his head. "You're not a bitch, Eighteen," he said. "It was a slip. A horribly timed slip, but you know," he chuckled. "Don't beat yourself up over it." Part of him was a little bit happy that she felt guilty for it. He knew that was wrong, but it made him think that maybe there was still a chance of her caring for him, too. He finished off his coffee and stretched, yawning loudly. "We should both get some sleep. See you at the hospital tomorrow?"

Eighteen smiled and nodded, "I'll see you then. We can plan our weekend tomorrow too, if you still feel like that in the morning." She wondered if this would be alright or if her slip would set them back a few paces. They had come so far already, the unsteady friendship to this. She needed this, needed something like this to move on and maybe finally be happy again.

"We'll see," he said and gave her a smile as he took her empty cup and set it in the sink. He needed a couple days to clear his head, to think things over. He felt like he was all over the place. He wanted her, he cared for her, he didn't want to lose her friendship somehow in this process. But it still stung that she'd called him by her husband's name. He didn't know how to feel about that and he was trying to understand. And he didn't want Marron to get confused or suffer somehow through this process, either.

He showed Eighteen down the hallway to the outside door of the apartment building and held it open for her. "Thanks for tonight. It was fun. Really," he said, trying to smile for her again.

She turned and looked at him, nearly hesitating at the hurt she could see in his eyes, but she nodded. If he was going to pretend he was alright, then fine. She wasn't going to push the matter. "It was fun. Hopefully the next time will be spectacular," she said, giving him a sly wink before she took to the air, flying off towards the hospital, thinking over the events carefully.

Tora chuckled to himself as he watched her go. "Oh, it will be, doll. Don't you worry about that."


	23. Love Again

The next day was odd for Tora. He went to the hospital as promised, but there was an awkwardness between him and Eighteen now. They didn't quite meet each other's eyes when they spoke and something just felt off. Neither of them mentioned what had happened the night before and they didn't talk about any plans for the weekend. In fact, Tora wasn't a hundred percent sure he wanted to make good on his offer to her to spend some more time together that weekend. His head was too jumbled with confusion, trying to understand the way he felt about her and trying to get over the fact that she'd screamed another man's name when she climaxed. That bugged him.

That REALLY bugged him.

And the more he thought about it, the worse it got. He finally excused himself from the hospital after Marron's physical therapy for the day was over. It was only mid-afternoon, but he needed to get away from Eighteen so he could think straight. He thought about going home and reading or something, but it seemed like his apartment would be too quiet. And dammit all, he wanted someone to talk to. He thought about talking to Vegeta, but the prince would surely give him a hard time if he knew that Tora had slept with Eighteen. His mind went to Goku; the younger Saiyan had never judged him before. Perhaps he would have some insight. And he understood the people of this planet better, anyway.

Making up his mind, Tora concentrated for only a second before he snapped his fingers and appeared in the yard of the cabin. He shivered in the cool autumn air and looked around before he went to the door and knocked. "Kakarot?" he asked loudly.

Goku looked over at the door from his place in front of the fire, warming himself after a day of chores outside in the cold weather. He looked at his mates, Tien nursing a cup of coffee and Sabriena busying herself around the stove in her kitchen. He reluctantly pushed himself up and went over, opening the door. "Hey Tora, come on in. It's freezing out there." He shot a look at Tien, feeling him smirking. This was hardly the coldest weather they would get up north and the older man found it amusing. "Well, it's cold to me," Goku pouted.

Tora gratefully stepped into the warmth of the cabin. "Thanks," he said. He gave a small wave to Tien, who raised his coffee cup in greeting in return. Tora looked back to Goku, "I hope this isn't a bad time. I always feel bad just popping up here; I never know if you're busy or not, but since you don't have a phone, well, you know." He smiled at Sabriena in her kitchen and his stomach rumbled slightly at the smell of the food she was preparing. "Anyway," he said, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I, ah, need some advice, if you don't mind."

Goku followed Tora's look and laughed. "Careful, we're going to end up with another Saiyan to feed. I swear Sabriena, you are just trying to get a whole harem of us, aren't you?" he teased before he looked back to Tora, seeing the unease in his friend's eyes and he sobered up. "Sure, are you alright? Is Marron? Eighteen?"

Tora gave a soft chuckle as Sabriena laughed loudly from her kitchen. "Yup!" she called, "I'm going to seduce you all with food!"

He shook his head and looked to Goku again. "Yeah, everyone's fine. Marron's awake, I dunno if you heard or not. I've spent the past two days with her in her physical therapy. She's learning to walk again and doing a damn good job of it." He chewed his lip for a moment before he sat down in a chair at the table and ran a hand down his face. "It's Eighteen. I... I slept with her last night. But she sorta, well, screamed out Krillin's name." He groaned and covered his eyes with his hand. "It's bugging the shit outta me."

Goku blinked at him, of all the things he had been prepared to hear, that was not on the list. He exchanged a look with Tien before he moved and sat down across from Tora at the table. "Wow, so you guys finally hooked up, huh?" He rubbed the back of his head, thinking about what he said. "But she cried out Krillin's name during sex?" His mind was drawing a blank, he wasn't sure what he could say to that. "Well, I suppose that would bug me too, but it's not like, you know, she did it without a reason to. If that makes sense." He frowned; he was horrible at this advice thing.

Still leaning his forehead into his hand, Tora peered over at Goku. "Not really, Kakarot," he chuckled. "I mean, she apologized afterwards. And I get that she still loves him, but couldn't she have at least been into the moment enough to NOT call me by her dead husband's name? It's not like I shouted someone else's name while I was with her. I don't want to screw up with her, not after it took me so long to make her my friend. But now we're supposed to get together this weekend and I'm not even sure I want to now." He sat up straighter, looking sour. "Wouldn't that be great? Wondering the whole time if she's thinking of me or of him."

Goku leaned against the table, looking at Tora carefully. "You really care about her, don't you?" he said as an observation before he waved his hand and thought on the matter a bit more. "Well, I mean, she probably didn't mean to do it since she apologized about it afterwards. Just because she called out his name doesn't mean she was thinking about him. I don't know much about her sex life, but she and Krillin were close. And if you love someone like that with your whole heart, it's hard to break that habit. You know?" He leaned back, stealing Tien's cup and taking a sip before he gave it back and looked at Tora.

Tien frowned at his coffee cup. "Thief," he grumbled. He didn't know what to say to help Tora with this particular problem. He'd never dealt with that before, but he thought about it for a moment and realized he would probably feel the same as Tora did if Sabriena or Goku had ever called him by someone else's name.

"Well have you ever made that mistake?" Tora countered, giving a nod of appreciation as Sabriena came into the room and gave him and Goku each a cup of coffee of their own. He looked at the tiny blonde, "How would you feel if he called you by his ex-mate's name?" he suddenly asked her.

Sabriena gave a laugh and placed a hand on Goku's shoulder. "Oh, he would never do that," she said and leaned down to kiss Goku on his cheek. "Cause he knows I'd kill him in his sleep."

"See?" Tora said, looking at Goku. "She gets it."

Goku leveled his gaze at Tora. "I would never call Chichi's name during sex. She's hurt me and my family too much. It's not the same thing. Eighteen loved Krillin, you can't compare that situation to this one." He leaned back in Sabriena's touch, his heart feeling full and complete, being with his two mates. "I can't imagine what is going through Eighteen's mind, but I know this has to be hard for her. As far as I know, she hasn't been with anyone since Krillin passed away. She doesn't take her relationships lightly, you know? If she wanted to sleep with you, it wasn't on a whim."

"I didn't think it was on a whim, but after that happened, I didn't know what to believe," Tora said. "I know it's not the same, but you get my point, right? I mean, when you're in that situation, you want the other person focused on you…" He trailed off and sighed, scrubbing at his face with his hands. "Dammit, why do I care about her so much?" He dropped his hands, unable to hide the frown that tugged at his lips as he reached for his coffee. "I don't think it would bother me so damn much if I didn't care about her."

"Have you talked to her about how you feel?" Tien asked. "I mean, we all know how much she loved Krillin. But does she really feel the same about you as you feel about her? Maybe if you got in her head a little more, it might help. I don't know what to tell you. Women are confusing."

Sabriena scowled at him. "We're not that complicated," she retorted. "You men just like to make it seem like we are. If you all weren't so damn guarded with your feelings and would just tell us how you feel, your lives would be a helluva lot easier, you know. It took you how many months to fess up that you loved me?"

Tien looked down at his coffee cup and muttered something under his breath.

"Exactly," she said and went back into her kitchen, banging pots and pans around. "It wouldn't kill you to say how you feel every now and then, you know," she called loudly from the other room. "Try being OPEN for once. Try being HONEST." They could hear her carrying on to herself without really being able to understand her words before she appeared in the doorway again. "Although, I have to say, this is rather interesting. Seeing it from the man's perspective. I thought only women sat around and analyzed relationships like this. I didn't realize men do it, too."

Goku tilted his head at Sabriena, "Didn't you take a while to tell Tien how you felt too?" He remembered them both beating around the bush when it had been obvious to him that they both cared for each other. He looked back at Tora, "You should be honest with her about this. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, you know? I think considering everything that she's been through, and since you really care about her, that you should give her the benefit of the doubt."

"I know I should, but how am I supposed to, you know…" Tora growled his frustration, "if I'm worried about her calling out his name or thinking about him? Why can't I just forget about this and move on? It's not like she called me by some random name, I guess. But still, how do you do that? Just call someone by another person's name? She knows I care about her. She HAS to know, doesn't she? How can she not know? After all the time I've spent with her and her daughter. And oh my god, why am I doing this to myself?!" He slumped over and laid his forehead on the table. "I'm miserable and hopeless. Just take me out back and shoot me, Bardock. Put me outta my misery."

Goku blinked at Tora a moment, glancing at Tien to see if he heard what he had heard and he smiled when his mate nodded at him. "So, now I'm Bardock? I'm not sure how I feel about that. You calling me my father's name. After all the time we've spent together, sparring and fishing, this whole time you've been thinking of him instead of me." He put a hand over his heart as he teasingly said, "I'm hurt."

Tora sat bolt upright, his eyes wide. "Oh hell, Kakarot, I didn't mean to. I…" He paused, blinking for a moment before he threw his head back and laughed. "Alright, ya little shit, I get the point," he said, reaching across the table to smack at Goku, who easily ducked out of arm's reach. He sat back in his chair, still laughing. "Oh, well I feel like a complete ass now."

Sabriena walked over and patted Tora on the back, leaning down to speak in his ear, "Would you like to be the pot or the kettle?"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Tora grumbled. He shook his head, still snickering. It was as if what had happened with Eighteen suddenly didn't matter anymore now. It was an honest mistake, made completely out of habit. He looked at Goku again, "In all fairness, at least you look like him. That's my defense, anyway."

Goku snickered, feeling a weight lifting from the room as Tora was put in good spirits again. "Sure, sure," he said as he took a sip of his coffee, "Just a mistake. I'll forgive you. Think you have it in you to forgive Eighteen?"

Tora nodded. "Yeah. It just took me making an ass outta myself to understand it."

"And you're gonna tell her how you feel, right?" Sabriena asked, fixing him with a stare as she put her hands on her hips.

"I wouldn't go that far," he answered. He snickered again as she threw her hands in the air and stormed back into her kitchen. "Women," he muttered. "They really DO make things complicated."

* * *

><p>Tora reappeared in his apartment late that evening, feeling beyond full and much more at ease about his situation with Eighteen. He'd absolutely gorged himself on the meal Sabriena prepared and threatened to steal her from Goku and Tien. It was good to spend time with them. They made everything seem better somehow, as if their happiness just radiated from them and soaked into anyone around them. He had fun joking and cutting up with Goku and his mates, even if they refused to let it go for him calling Goku "Bardock."<p>

His apartment seemed rather quiet and empty now that he was home and alone. He showered before he crawled into bed, sighing as he thought over everything again. He could forgive Eighteen's slip. She really hadn't meant to do it after all. But still he wondered if he should spend time with her that weekend or not. He was worried that he would be too preoccupied with wondering if she was really into him, into the moment with him, or if she might slip again. He didn't know if he could concentrate on her if he was thinking those things. He sighed deeply as he shifted into a more comfortable position on the bed. He still had tomorrow to make up his mind. He told himself not to think on it anymore tonight and soon drifted off to sleep.

He didn't know where he was at first, but his mind quickly registered that he must have been dreaming. Everything around him seemed to have an almost misty quality to it. It was strange and he was almost certain he was alone. That is, until he saw him. Tora's eyes went wide as he recognized the man before him. "I… uh, hey," he said lamely, rubbing the back of his neck.

Krillin chuckled at the expression on the Saiyan's face. "Hey, Tora." He tilted his head as he looked him over a moment. He could see the embarrassment in the other man's eyes, the shame. "Sorry we didn't really get a chance to meet after the battle. From what I've seen so far, you're a pretty good guy," he said, crossing his arms. "You know, I don't have very much time here."

Tora dared to make eye contact, feeling awkward and guilty for having slept with Krillin's wife. There were a million things he thought he should say to the man. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry I led my crew to this world. It's my fault they killed you. That wasn't fair. Not to you, your wife, or your daughter. I tried to keep my promise to you, that I would protect them. But Marron still got hurt. If I could change any of this, I would. I hope you know that."

Krillin's eyes went wide and he held up his hands. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down! I'm not mad at you and I don't blame you for my death. That was my choice. Fasha was going to kill Eighteen and I made a last minute decision to push her out of the way. As far as your promise, you've been really great." He rubbed the back of his head, "I know this probably sounds really bad, but because of the accident, I got to spend some extra time with my little girl while she was sleeping. And you saved her life, so, you know. Don't apologize." He walked forward, looking up at the Saiyan, "And stop feeling guilty. I already know everything that's going on." He sighed, looking down at the misty ground a moment, "All I want is for Eighteen to be happy again. You don't know how many times I've watched her cry herself to sleep. Then she turns around and manages to put on a happy face for little Marron."

He looked up again, "You need to give her another chance. She may not realize it, but she needs you right now. She's so torn up about her mistake with you the other night. Today she was devastated when you left."

"She was?" Tora asked, thinking back, trying to remember if he'd seen any trace of that in her eyes when he said his goodbye for the day. But then he remembered that he hadn't really looked her in the eye all day long. His heart ached to hear Krillin speak about her like that, to hear that she cried herself to sleep so many nights. "I don't know how to do this," he admitted. "She's so hard to read. I never know if she's going to smile or slap me. I can't get in her head." He looked at Krillin, trying to understand. "Are you really okay with this? I don't want to hurt her. And I wouldn't dream of hurting Marron. But I don't want to take your place, Krillin. That's not what I'm trying to do."

Krillin had a distant look on his face as he remembered Eighteen. "That's how she is most of the time, a smile or a slap. Sometimes both." He shook his head and recalled the questions, "I know you aren't trying to take my place. I've seen how hard you are trying to help Marron remember who I am. I know I won't be forgotten. This isn't about me right now, it's about them and what's best for them right now. I can tell what's best for them right now is you. In more ways than you can imagine." He laughed, "I know it's weird. Dead guy trying to get you to sleep with his wife, but it's more than that. She needs this, she needs to know it's okay to love again. Just be patient with her. And keep up the good work with my little firefly." Krillin looked up at Tora, "That might help her remember, when the summer comes around again. She loved catching fireflies with me at sunset when they started flying around."

Tora gave a nod, committing that bit of information to memory. "I hope she gets her memory back. Eighteen was so upset when Marron didn't recognize her. I guess you already know that, though." He ran a hand roughly down his face, thinking about everything being said between them. This was even more awkward than the conversation with Eighteen after they slept together, yet somehow it made him feel better at the same time. "I'll give her another chance. I'd give her a million chances if she asked me to. I know I enjoy antagonizing her too much, but I really do care about her. I love seeing her smile. All I want is for her to be happy again."

Krillin smiled, "That's all I want too." He sighed and nodded, "Take care of my family for me. Give her another chance. Don't let her hurt any more. She's more afraid of that than anything else right now." He looked behind him a moment before back at the Saiyan, "They're playing my song back there, I have to go, but I'll be watching. It was good meeting you Tora, and thanks again for your promise. There's no better man for the job."

Tora felt his heart lift at Krillin's words. "I'll take care of them. On my life, I swear I won't let them come to harm again," he vowed. "Take care of yourself. It was good to meet you, too." He watched as the dreamworld around him faded and when he opened his eyes, the early morning sunlight shone through his window. He stretched in his bed, a small smile on his face. He felt a million times better. He would most definitely spend some time alone with Eighteen this weekend. Now he just had to figure out how to make it special for her, to find a way to ease some of the pain and fear she felt. He had to let her know it was okay to love again.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong> I haven't given a shout-out in awhile, so I thought I'd stick one in here to all our reviewers! Thanks to **amkula, GreenSaiyan, nancy103, dbzfangirl1, gesto, Juli-sama14, **and the guest reviewers! You guys know how much it means to me and **JC 87 **when you leave us reviews. You guys are full of awesome. And now I must go. I'm making Gramma's soup for dinner and it takes a long time to fix. (Be jealous. Be very jealous. You know you are.) Love ya'll!


	24. Second Chance

Tora smiled to himself as he entered the hospital that morning, the large arrangement of tiger lilies in his hand. He had an entire day planned out for Eighteen, determined to make her feel special and to show that he wasn't upset anymore. He felt bad for shooing her out the door that night after she'd asked him if he was up for more. He regretted it now. He hoped that this would smooth things over between them and show her that he cared. He didn't know why he had chosen those particular flowers. He'd intended to buy roses, most earthling women seemed to like those best, but when he'd seen the bright orange star-shaped flowers, he knew those were the ones he wanted to give her. He also had set out to buy her chocolates, but ended up purchasing a box of taffy-like candies with bright wrappers.

He smiled as he entered Marron's room. "There's my two favorite girls," he grinned as he set the bouquet next to Eighteen on the table. "Those are for you," he said and handed her the box of candy as well. "Oh! And I got this for you, little one." He handed Marron a bright yellow rose and a candy bar, smiling as her eyes lit up.

Eighteen's breath caught in her throat at the sight of the lilies and the box of taffies. It was impossible. "These," she started, having to start again when her breath caught in her throat, "You bought these for me?" She remembered on her birthday when Krillin had bought her a bouquet of tiger lilies because they reminded him of her. Her fierceness. "Krillin used to buy these for me, but he never told anyone."

Tora's eyebrows lifted at that. "Oh yeah?" he asked, then chuckled. "I got lucky, I guess. I just saw them and thought you'd like those better than roses." He reached in his back pocket and withdrew a small envelope. "Here, I got this for you, too," he said as he handed it over. "I want you to go today. I'll sit here with Marron and keep her company. It'll be good for you to take a few hours to yourself. That's okay with you, isn't it, Marron?"

Eighteen barely nodded at Tora and her daughter as she opened the envelope. The voucher to the spa staring up at her as she folded back the paper. "Tora," she breathed, "This is too much… isn't it?" She still felt horrible for that night with him and now to do this with lilies, it was almost too much.

"No, it's not," he answered fiercely. "I was a jerk to you the other night. I'm sorry for that. I want to make it up to you. We said we'd spend some time together again this weekend. Let me try to make it special for you." Damn it all, he would drag her to that spa if he had to. His whole evening was planned around her going to that place. He'd even gone so far as to call up Bulma and ask her to somehow get him last minute reservations at a nice restaurant that night, which she of course managed to do. "Please go. I'm sorry for the way I reacted."

Eighteen bit her lip as her daughter chimed in, "Momma! Go to the spa! I want to go to the spa, you'll have to tell me all about it when you get back."

"See?" Tora grinned. "It'll be okay. Me and Marron are gonna have fun while you go relax. We're gonna watch a movie and play a board game and raid the candy machine at the end of the hall." He sat back and laughed, shooting Marron a wink. "Go on, Eighteen. You deserve to be pampered."

Eighteen chuckled at the plan he laid out. "Alright, alright. Just save me a Hershey's bar when you two knock over the vending machine," she said before she walked over to Marron's side, stroking her hair and kissing her forehead. "You behave for Tora, alright?" She smiled as her little girl nodded. "Good, I need you to look after this crazy Saiyan while I'm gone," she said before she winked at Tora and stood up. She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair before she grabbed her purse and checked it. "I will have my cell phone on me, so don't hesitate to call if something happens."

"You got it," Tora said, opening the door for her. "Be right back," he said to Marron as he ushered Eighteen out the door. He paused in the hallway, gently taking hold of her arm. "Try to enjoy yourself. Don't worry about Marron. She'll be fine. I promise." He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later."

* * *

><p>Eighteen was in pure bliss, the day at the spa was just what she had needed. A manicure, pedicure and a full body massage with scented oils that left her feeling relaxed and at peace with herself. She was then treated to a facial and had her makeup done for her. Maybe Tora had forgiven her for her slip up. She would do her best not to make it again. She didn't want to lose what she had after she had lost so much. His friendship was too dear to her now.<p>

Just as she was about to walk out the door, one of the ladies that worked at the spa stopped her. "Miss Eighteen?" she said, "The gentleman who bought your voucher for the day left something for you. He said he wanted you to put it on." She reached under the counter and pulled out a long garment box, handling it as if it was made of glass. The name of a high-end fashion designer was scrawled across the front of the box, telling her that whatever was inside had to be expensive. She handed it to Eighteen before she grabbed the shoe box and set it on the counter. "I didn't catch his name, but whoever he is, he must really care about you to do all of this for you."

Eighteen read the name across the front of the dress box and her breath caught in her throat. This alone had to cost a small fortune. She took the dress and the shoes before she headed back into the changing rooms at the spa. Her eyes went wide when she took the dress out of the box. It was black with the finest gold embroidery all over. "You have got to be kidding me." She dug around in her purse and snatched her cell phone, punching in Tora's number and held it to her ear as she looked the dress over again.

"Yessssss?" Tora drawled as he answered the phone. He couldn't stop the smirk that played over his lips as he waited to hear what Eighteen had to say. He knew it was just about the time when the worker at the spa would've given her the dress. She had to have been calling about it. He felt a bit of nervousness coil in his stomach. He hoped she liked it. "What can I do for you, pumpkin?"

"Pumpkin?" she echoed for a moment before she shook her head and looked at the dress again. "Okay, this is really way too much. Do you even know what kind of dress you bought me? It must have been a fortune!" she hissed, but caressed the silken fabric lovingly. The man had excellent taste, she would give him that much.

Tora chuckled. "Well, yeah, I did put some thought into it before I bought it. I've seen all those fashion magazines you read all the time. It's the same designer that made a bunch of dresses for that British princess Kate-what's-her-face. D'you like it?" he asked, a big grin splitting his face as he shifted his stance, listening intently to the phone. He wished he could see the look on her face at that moment.

Eighteen pinched the bridge of her nose, looking down at the dress again. "Alright then, charmer, where exactly do you think I'm wearing this dress to? It's not exactly subtle and not really casual wear for the hospital scene," she said with a smirk. She could feel her stomach fluttering at the prospect of being doted on like this. She felt warm and fuzzy at the whole day so far. For him to give her lilies, what Krillin would give her, it seemed like he didn't hold anything against her for calling out her dead husband's name in bed. That alone was a huge weight off of her shoulders.

"You're wearing it to dinner," he answered simply. "Now get dressed. Someone will be there to pick you up and take you to the restaurant when you're ready." He smirked to himself as he hung up the phone before she could say another word about it. He crossed his arms over his chest, trying to fight the huge smile that split his face, but he couldn't. It made him ridiculously happy that she liked his gifts.

Eighteen felt herself seething at the phone as he hung up on her. Ooooh that man. She tossed her phone into her purse and changed, closing her eyes as the cool silk seemed to flow over her skin like water. It was beyond perfect. She sat down carefully and opened up the shoe box, finding a pair of heels that matched the dress she was wearing. She briefly wondered from whom he could have gotten this knowledge about her. She would have to drill him about it later. He even got her shoe size exactly right. They fit like a dream. Standing in front of the mirror, her breath was taken away as she looked at herself. She hadn't seen herself like this in ages. She recalled the last time Krillin had taken her to a fancy restaurant. He rented a tux, got flowers and everything. She lifted a hand and wiped away the tear at the corner of her eye. "Krillin… I hope this is alright. I miss you terribly, but this guy... I think he's alright," she said softly before she gathered her things and exited the changing room, waving goodbye at the stunned staff as she exited the building. She stopped short when she saw who was waiting for her at the curb.

Tora gave her a big grin when he saw her. Good gods, she looked even more radiant in that dress than he'd expected. He loved the way the strapless design showed off her neck and shoulders, the way the skirt flowed behind her. He stood up straighter, pushing off of the car he'd been leaning against as he went to her. "You look stunning," he said, taking her hand in his and kissing it. He hoped he looked okay, too. He'd dressed up nice, a black shirt and dress pants. His heart hammered rapidly against his ribs, his breath restricted in his throat. "You are a vision in that dress. Do you really like it?"

Eighteen gave him a look, wary of his intentions, but couldn't see any ill will or hidden motives as of yet. She smiled at him. He cleaned up really well, who knew how long he had taken to get dressed and everything. "So a spa day, dinner…" She trailed off and her eyes widened as she realized that Marron had to be alone at the hospital, unless this man had thought of that too. He had to have, why go this far only to stumble at the finish line. "Who's with Marron?"

"Seventeen and Leelee are," he answered. "I wouldn't leave her alone. You should know that." He couldn't even begin to describe the way he felt, the butterflies in his stomach, the smile on his lips that would just not stop. He gave a small chuckle. "I know this is all a bit over the top, but I really wanted to make you feel special, because, well, you are. You said you wanted to spend some time together this weekend. I thought this might be nice. Unless, you know, you'd rather go back and eat more hospital food. In which case, I'd say we're overdressed."

Eighteen couldn't stop the smile that pulled at her lips and she walked over to him, giving him a light smack with her purse. "Smartass," she said as she shifted her clothes around in her arms. "Alright then, Prince Charming, I have to be home by midnight."

"As you wish, Princess," he teased and opened the car door for her. He made sure her skirt was pulled into the car before he shut the door and strolled around to the driver's side. He usually preferred his bike if he traveled that way, but he had a car, too, just in case there was bad weather. Or a hot date. In all reality, he didn't need either for travel since he could fly or transport himself anywhere he wanted with a snap of his fingers, but these earthling toys were fun for him. He snickered to himself as he slid into the car and paused to admire her for a minute. "I hope you're hungry. This place is supposed to have the best food in town."

They arrived a short time later and were quickly ushered to a table inside the fancy restaurant. "Wow," Tora breathed as he looked around. "I feel a little out of my element here," he admitted with a chuckle. "I ain't used to this fancy shit."

Eighteen was impressed, but gave a suspicious look to her date. "Getting a reservation here is damn near impossible. So you either booked us a table the first day you arrived here on earth or you had someone pull some strings for you," she teased, the smell of the good food reaching her and making her stomach rumble. "I am starving. A steak sounds great," she said, giving a smirk. She wasn't like most women; skip the salad and bring on the cows.

"It's not impossible when you have Bulma on your side," he answered. "It's a good thing she likes me." He glanced over the menu, nodding in agreement with her. "Steak does sound good. You think I can get them to just bring it to me raw?" He snickered at the expression on her face. "Okay, okay. Rare then. I swear, you never let me have any fun."

Eighteen smirked at him, "Oh you can, but I'm not kissing you afterwards if you eat a raw steak."

Tora felt his heart skip a little at her words. "Ah, so you plan on kissing me then?" he teased, wagging his eyebrows at her. He snickered and sat back in his chair a little. "Sorry, I just can't stop teasing you for some reason. It amuses me too much." He regarded her for a moment, the way she looked in the gorgeous gown he'd bought for her. Yes, it had been expensive, out of his price range, and he didn't give a damn. There were a few small martial arts tournaments coming up that Vegeta and Goku had no interest in. He could win them easily and make up the money in his savings account. But that was the last thing on his mind at the moment. The only thing he could think of was how striking the woman before him was.

"I think I could stare at you all night long," he said in a low tone, shifting his legs under the table as his length firmed. He concentrated on his breathing for a moment, steadying it, willing his body to relax. That was a feat in and of itself, though. Just being around her stirred him up in a way he'd never experienced before.

Eighteen leveled her gaze at him, feeling her heart race. It had been ages since someone wanted to dote upon her like this, since she had let someone dote on her. It was a dangerous game, she realized as she found she rather enjoyed his company. "I hope that's not all you do," she teased back, "After all this work to get my attention, you have it." She wondered where this would lead, or if she would be hurt again. Her heart had ached after he left the hospital after Marron's therapy. "I can think of a few things to do with you," she said as she shifted her legs under the table, sliding her toes up the side of his leg, watching his face.

Tora felt the slight blush touch his high cheekbones as she teased the inside of his leg. Oh, he was so tempted to swipe everything off that table, throw her on it, lift up her skirt, and just have his way with her right there. But then, he reasoned, that might somehow cheapen their date. Not to mention, Bulma would be less than impressed with him when she received news that she and anyone associated with her would no longer be allowed in that restaurant. His spine went stiff as he fought to control his body. "Oh, I plan on doing much more," he answered, his voice husky.

He gave their order to the waiter when the young man came to their table. "I think I'm most looking forward to dessert, though," Tora said, his eyes locked on Eighteen. He ran his tongue over his lips and shot her a wink. "Just you wait until our dinner's over. I'm going to absolutely devour you," he purred.

Eighteen felt a jolt of heat shoot straight to her center, and she squirmed in her seat at the pleasure, the promised pleasure to come. Something was bothering her though, but she was loathe to bring it up since everything seemed to be going so well. She sighed and folded her hands on the table top. "Tora, I have to ask. I know you were really upset about it, but are you still? Are you still upset with me for, you know…" She looked around and dropped her voice into a low whisper, "calling the wrong name?" She felt miserable about it. She really didn't mean to call him her late husband. It had been ingrained into her after years of a happy marriage.

Tora gave her a soft smile and reached out to cover her hands with one of his own. "I'm not upset with you," he answered in a quiet tone. He stroked his thumb across her knuckles, his heart beating faster just from the contact with her skin. "I get it. Old habits are hard to break. Can't we just, you know, act like it never happened? Let's just forget about that night." He leaned in closer, curling his hand around hers. "We can just say that night was a practice run; tonight can be our first real night together."

Eighteen felt her heart warming at that. She felt butterflies at the kind gesture. She had only felt them once before and it had led to something amazing. Something she had lost in the end, but she could do this. Somehow she would make it work. "I would like that," she said honestly, rubbing her thumb over the calloused skin of his hands. She didn't think she could feel this way since Krillin died.

Tora nodded and reluctantly let go of her hand as the waiter set their food on the table. His stomach rumbled loudly as the delicious scent hit his nose. "Sorry," he murmured before he tucked into his meal, concentrating very hard on not inhaling the food as he normally did. He didn't want to embarrass her. He felt as if he was eating in slow motion, yet he still seemed to be eating faster than the other patrons of the restaurant. He felt his face go a little hot and slowed his chewing even more, hoping not to seem too obvious. Damn it all. He wasn't ashamed of what he was, but at the same time, people did tend to stare in restaurants.

Eighteen laughed, "What are you doing? You look like you are on Baywatch or something. Eat up. You're a Saiyan aren't you? Eat like one. I don't expect the public to understand who you are, but I do. Isn't that all that matters? I don't expect you to align yourself with human matters." She gave him a leveled look. "But I do hope you take your time with dessert," she said as she licked her lips.

A shiver raced down his spine as he watched her tongue slide along her lips. Tora chuckled and looked over at her as he swallowed. "Are you sure? I was trying to be polite." He nearly winced at the look she gave him and he began to eat in earnest, a moan rumbling in his throat. "So good," he murmured. He shot her another wink. "Oh, don't you worry. I intend to savor my dessert. I want to make it last as long as possible."

Eighteen laughed and ate her own dinner at her own pace, savoring every last bite. She had no doubt, whatever dessert he had planned back at his apartment, it would trump this exquisite five star desert at the restaurant. She reached out and grasped his hand, "Thank you for forgiving me."

"Eighteen, it was an honest mistake. Of course I forgave you." He curled his fingers around hers, giving her hand a slight squeeze. "Don't think about it anymore. As far as I'm concerned, it didn't happen." And he meant it. He really wanted to start over with her in that aspect, to just forget that it had happened. He smiled as she finished her dinner. Nervous butterflies coiled in his stomach as he cleared his throat. "So, ah, you wanna get out of here?"

She smiled warmly at him, happy that whatever he had done to reach this state of mind. A relief washed over her and was replaced with a heat that settled inside of her, making her wet and aching for him again. "Let's get out of here," she agreed. "I have a few ideas with this dress that I want to try out. Such a thoughtful gift should be worn as much as possible."

He couldn't help but to wonder what ideas she had in mind about the dress. Really, his only thoughts were of getting her OUT of that dress. He paid for their meal and drove them back to his apartment. Why was he so nervous? He fumbled slightly with his keys as he opened the door and let her inside. After making sure the door was locked behind him, he grabbed her hand and spun her around to him, cupping her cheek as he stared into her cold blue eyes. There were a thousand things he wanted to say to her in that moment, yet none of them seemed to truly capture what he wanted to tell her. So instead, he wordlessly tilted his head down to her, kissing her. Slowly. Deliberately. Savoring every wonderful second as he tasted her lips and held her body against his own.

Eighteen moaned against him, letting him pull her to his body. Her pulse was pounding, she felt well and truly romanced. Perhaps she did think too much on this, but for the moment she just wanted to enjoy this man and all that he had to offer her. She had her second chance and she knew she didn't want to squander it. "You look very exquisite in this suit," she purred as she moved her hand down to press against his crotch, relishing the hardness she felt there. "I want you to take me like this, while we are all dressed up. If you think you can handle it."

Tora gasped as she cupped him so suddenly, her hand warm against his hard length. "Any way you want it, baby," he answered. He thrust his hips slightly forward, rubbing himself in her hand as his length firmed even more. He gave a low groan as he kissed at her neck, pressing hot kisses along her collarbone to her shoulder, down her chest to the swell of her breast. Something about doing this with her as they were still clothed excited him. He knelt before her and carefully lifted the hem of her skirt, purring as the scent of her arousal hit his nose. He tugged her panties off, still holding her skirt up with one hand before he leaned in and lightly flicked his tongue over her. A loud moan issued from his throat at the sweet, spicy taste of her. "Oh my god, Eighteen," he breathed huskily as he wrapped his arms around her more securely and began to lick and suck at her enthusiastically.

Eighteen gave a shout of pleasure as the Saiyan sealed his lips around her gem. "Tora!" she cried out, thrusting against his face and threading her fingers through his hair, holding him to her. They were dressed so elegantly and all she could think about was dirtying them, performing such an act in their clothes. "Mmm, don't think the designer of this dress was expecting this to happen."

Tora chuckled against her as he nuzzled against her body. He was determined to take his time, to bring her to climax before they did anything else, simply because she'd asked him to savor his dessert. And he intended to do exactly that. His cock was hard and pulsing against the front of his pants, but his only concern in that moment was her pleasure. He settled back on his heels just a bit and pulled her closer, spreading her legs a bit more. "You are gorgeous, you know that?" he asked her before he sealed his lips around her again and plunged his tongue into her silken heat.

Eighteen was ravenous, her pleasure soaring as Tora took his time with her. She could barely believe this night, this moment. The only thing she could focus on was Tora's hot wicked tongue as he drank her down, nipping and teasing at her flesh as her pleasure was wound tighter and tighter. "Oh gods, I'm going to come. Don't stop. Don't stop." She gasped as her legs started quivering, her body flushing as her orgasm hit her suddenly at the thought of the proud Saiyan warrior on his knees before her. "Tora!" she screamed as she came, feeling a rush of her essence spill out of her, stars bursting before her eyes and she nearly lost her balance.

Tora drank thirstily from her body, holding her steady. His pride swelled as he brought her to orgasm, his name on her lips. He finally pulled away and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand as he stared up at her, lust burning in his eyes as he did. He unbuckled his belt and popped the button on his pants, freeing himself just enough to expose his hard length to the warm air of the apartment. "I want you," he breathed as he got to his feet. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her easily, guiding her legs to wrap around him. "I have to have you," he groaned and lowered her over his cock, gasping out as her tight heat engulfed him.

The android was in pure bliss as he was suddenly there, holding her up. His thick cock pressing into her as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Her body clenched around him as she thought about how they looked, still dressed in their finery as they made love. She threw her head back as he became fully seated inside of her, gods, it was so good. For some reason, she was able to keep her head wrapped around the moment, keeping it from wandering as the only thing she knew became the point where they were connected. She reached up, drawing him in for a heated kiss as she writhed against him.

He moaned into the kiss as he slid his hands down to grasp the backs of her thighs, pulling her tighter against his body. She was so hot and wet on his aching cock, so light in his arms. He lifted her slightly before he slammed her back down on him, crying out at the feel of her around him. "Oh gods, Eighteen," he whined as he began to thrust into her. His tail coiled affectionately around her shin as he set a fevered pace, his body demanding release.

Eighteen panted hard, she remembered this. She didn't want to make the same mistake twice and she reached out to grasp his tail and uncurled it from her shin, bringing it up to her mouth as she squeezed it carefully. She stroked the appendage and ran her tongue over it hotly before she took the tip into her mouth. She bucked against him, moaning. She pulled the tail away for a moment. "Fuck me harder. Make us come together," she breathed as she clenched around him and returned the tail to her mouth.

Tora's eyes went wide, his mouth hanging open at the feel of her lips around his tail. That was an entirely new sensation to him and it sent a violent shiver down his spine. "What are you doing to me?" he groaned as he thrust harder into her, driving his cock deep into her body. Something about the look of her mouth wrapped around him like that was pushing him over that edge, his orgasm building quickly. He slammed her down over him, faster and faster, a heat pooling in his gut. "Come with me. Please, baby, come with me," he panted, sweat trickling down the side of his face. "I can't hold back." His face screwed up and his jaw clenched as his cock swelled inside of her for a moment before his essence flooded her body.

Eighteen moaned around his tail as her orgasm washed over her, her arms moved, letting go of the tail as she wrapped them tightly around his neck and drawing her to him. The feeling of his thick cock inside of her and the rush of heat as his essence filled her absolute bliss and it triggered a second orgasm as she screamed out, "Tora!" She whimpered as she lowered her head to his shoulder, her hips thrusting up against his own. She finally stilled, a pleased smile on her face as she sagged in his arms, "Mmm, you do know how to please a woman, I'll give you that."

Tora gave a shaking, breathless laugh. "I try," he admitted, nuzzling into her neck as he held her. He gently kissed at her shoulder, wishing he could just hold her all night long. "And you certainly know how to keep things interesting. I don't think I've ever had sex with clothes on before," he chuckled. He pulled back slightly and looked into her eyes. "But I'd sure like to get you out of that dress."

Eighteen chuckled, "After all the trouble you went to get me into the dress?" She winked. "But I digress, I would love to get out of this dress. And you have to get out of that suit," she said, reaching up and cupping his cheek, feeling oddly affectionate in the moment. Her heart was beating so fast, she nearly chided herself. She didn't think she would ever feel like that again and to be honest, it scared her a little. She smiled at him, "How about some naked coffee before we get back to what will hopefully be a long night."

A smile split his face. "Now that sounds good." He carefully lifted her off of his cock and set her feet on the floor before he turned her to face away from him. His fingers found the zipper in the back of the dress and he slowly slid it down, admiring her skin as inch by inch of her back was revealed to him. He leaned in and pressed long, hot kisses down her spine before he carefully peeled the dress from her body. Still kissing at her back, he took her hand to balance her as he let her step out of the garment and he set it on the back of a chair behind him. "I've never seen anyone as beautiful as you," he purred as he ran his hands over her.

"Flatterer," she said as she turned back to him, keeping a hand on his shoulder as she took off her shoes carefully. The floor had a slight chill to it when she set her bare foot down on the ground and she quickly undid the other one, finally standing on her own once again, looking at him boldly, unashamed of her nakedness. She reached out, undoing his tie, carefully pulling it from his neck. "You clean up well," she admitted, leaning in and kissing at his neck as she unbuttoned his shirt. She watched him as he pulled back and shrugged off his clothes, both of them finally bared to each other. She stepped to him, laying her head on his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him, "Thank you for tonight. Thanks for giving me a second chance."

He smiled as he wrapped his arms around her slender frame. "Hey, you gave me a chance after everything that happened. It was the least I could do. I'll always take a chance on you," he answered. He touched her chin, tilting her face up to him. "And it's not flattery when it's the truth, you know." He kissed her sweetly before he pulled away and went to the coffee machine on the counter. He felt his heart racing, a pleasant fluttering in his stomach as he worked. He kept stealing glances at her over his shoulder, barely daring to believe that she was here in his apartment again. He was still hard, his length throbbing once again as he thought about all the things they could do that night. He finally went to the table and sat down, offering a cup to her. He wagged his eyebrows at her suggestively. "You wanna sit in my lap while we have our coffee?"

Eighteen grinned. "You sure you trust me in your lap with a cup a hot coffee?" she asked but moved to sit in his lap, squirming a little bit more than necessary on his hardness before she stopped and took a sip of the hot liquid. Pure heaven. "Not that I am complaining, but what made you want to give me another chance? I know you aren't like most men, but if someone did what I did, that's usually all she wrote."

Tora shivered at the feel of her body against him and he took a deep drink of the hot liquid before he smacked his lips. "Because I know you didn't mean to," he answered as he wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her securely against his chest. "I wasn't sure I wanted to at first. But then I made a similar mistake a couple days later. Called one of my friends by a different name. And I realized how easy it is to make a slip like that." He kissed at the side of her neck, looking over her shoulder to admire her breasts for a moment. Gods, she looked amazing. "We've come too far to let a silly thing like that ruin it all, don't you think?"

Eighteen leaned back against him, sipping thoughtfully at her coffee and nodded in agreement with him before she set her mug on the table and turned in his lap to face him. His hot length trapped between them. "I see," she said as she leaned against him, sagging in his arms for a moment, laying her head on his shoulder. She breathed him in, his musky, spicy scent. "Thank you," she said honestly, before she looked back up at him, "Care to move this to the bedroom? Unless you have any better ideas?"

"That works for me," he grinned and drained his cup. He set it on the table and got up, leading her to his room. He pulled back the blankets on the bed and flopped back on it, crossing his arms behind his head, his tail curling and flopping over the edge of the bed. He flashed her his most charming smile. "Well, here I am. Have your way with me," he teased, snickering at the expression on her face.

He licked his lips as she crawled over him and his toes curled as he once again found his cock buried in her tight, wet heat. "Oh, fuck yes," he breathed as he suddenly rolled them over, laying himself on top of her. "I think I could do this all night."

* * *

><p>It was the early morning hours before they both collapsed on his bed, sweating and satisfied. Tora stretched and yawned before he relaxed and looked over at her, the flush on her cheeks, her hair a mess. "You know how to wear a man out," he chuckled and he rolled to his side, pulling her to him as he curled around her. He ran his hand lovingly over her flat stomach as he kissed the back of her shoulder. "Stay here with me tonight," he murmured sleepily as a deep purr rumbled in his throat.<p>

Eighteen's heart jumped at the request, her mind trying to pick up the pieces of her well fucked brains. She rested her hand over his hand, stroking at his knuckles as she stared at the clock, but barely registered the time. "You think that's a good idea? I imagine Leelee and Seventeen are probably chomping at the bit to get out of the hospital." She couldn't remember the last time she hadn't spent an evening in that sad place. She sighed softly. Her heart still ached for her last love and now Tora was trying to work his way into her heart. She was sure he had won over Marron, memory or not. The thing was, that the more people she let in, the more the chance that she would be hurt later on if something happened. And something always happened. It was nature.

"Nah, that was part of our deal," he answered in a yawn. "I talked them into staying the night with her so you could 'have a night at home.' Leelee thought it would be good for you to sleep in your own bed." He snickered slightly; he suspected that Leelee and Seventeen were a bit brighter than that and knew what he had planned for the night, but they'd agreed to it and had said nothing more. "I don't see why it wouldn't be a good idea," he said softly. "After everything we just did? It's just sleep." He snuggled closer against her, his tail curling around her thigh. He reached down and grabbed the blankets to pull up over them. "You're so warm," he murmured, his eyes growing heavy.

Eighteen felt her eyes growing heavy as he tucked them in, curling his body around her own. That tail of his, it was going to get them both into trouble one day, she imagined. Her mind went places, was it just sleep? Was it something more than that? "Oh, alright. Since you're pulling my leg here," she teased, but rolled over to face him, looking at him intently for a moment before she reached up and cupped his cheek. She couldn't deny this night had been fun, more than fun. She had needed it. Though, now she was wondering what this would mean in the future for them. He was already starting to take a special place in her heart, but what happened if the worst were to happen again? Could she survive if she lost someone else dear to her? "We should do this again sometime," she said honestly.

"Mmhmmm," he answered. "I would like that." He tucked her head under his chin, relishing in the feel of just holding her like this, so warm and comfortable in bed. He heaved a contented sigh as his eyes closed, a happiness curling around his heart. "Goodnight, Eighteen," he said sleepily and kissed the top of her head before he quickly drifted off to sleep.


	25. Home

Eighteen woke up when she wanted to which was a few hours later after they both had fallen asleep. One of the few good things about being an android was the internal clock she could set. It was barely sunrise, the sky just starting to turn grey at the horizon. She looked at Tora, feeling guilt rush through her as she pushed herself up and carefully extracted herself from his embrace. She would have loved nothing more than to just lay there with him, wake up with him. Then make him make her breakfast. She smiled at the thought, but clamped down on it quickly as she moved about, changing back into her clothes from yesterday that she had crammed into her purse. She looked at the dress, debating if she should leave it or not. It was a lovely gift and if she kept her head about her, they could do another night like this again. She finally decided to take the garment and tucked it and the shoes under her arm as she looked around the apartment to see if she missed anything.

She paused at Tora's door, one last time, watching him sleep soundly. Her eyes narrowed briefly as the ghost of a whisper told her not to go, but it only solidified her resolve and she turned and left. "He'll understand," she told herself.

Leelee looked up from the book she was reading aloud to Marron as Eighteen walked into the hospital room. Seventeen paused in a rather awkward pose at the end of Marron's bed; he'd been acting out a fight with an imaginary dragon as Leelee read the story, making Marron giggle.

"Morning, sunshine," Leelee grinned and closed the book, setting it in her lap. She leaned her chin in her hand and smiled brightly at Eighteen. "Soooooooo? How was your night last night? Did you have fun?" She wagged her eyebrows at the android, anxious to hear the details.

Eighteen gave a heavy sigh as she looked at Leelee and her brother. "Yes, I did, thank you," she said as she walked over to the bed and put her purse in one of the spare chairs that was available. "I suppose he told you about his plans? Surprising me here with lilies and taffy. Then a dress at the spa. Then dinner and dessert." She gave them a knowing look. They were really such perverts, and she meant that in the nicest way possible. "You two are incorrigible.

Leelee blinked her eyes innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said in a tone that was totally unbelievable. "He told us he needed us to sit here so you could enjoy an evening at home alone." She snickered and dropped the act. "He would've been more believable if he hadn't already been in the suit when we showed up here to hang out with Marron."

Seventeen snickered too. "I don't think he really expected us to believe him, Leelee." He could see the look in his girlfriend's eyes. She was dying for all the mushy, sappy details. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Hey, Marron, why don't we go down and raid the cafeteria? They're bound to have something good to eat. And if they don't, we'll go throw it at 'em." He gave his sister a wide-eyed look. "What? She doesn't need to hear whatever gushy crap you two are getting ready to talk about. I know you two."

Marron's eyes went wide and she nodded. Carefully moving to get off the bed, she smiled proudly as she managed to get down by herself. "Look Momma! We can leave soon! I'm starting to walk by myself again!" she said proudly before she reached for Seventeen to carry her. "It's a work in progress," she said as she was lifted off the floor. "To the food!" she exclaimed and pointed out the door.

Eighteen shook her head. "That's gonna be the last time I make him watch her for a full night," she said before she moved to sit down. "So then, you want juicy details?"

Leelee eagerly nodded her head, her braids nearly smacking her in the face. "Yesssss!" she hissed, leaning forward, looking like an excited child waiting for storytime. "So you guys totally slept together, right? How was it? Do you really like him? I mean, you know, more than just a fuck? I know he likes you. A lot."

Eighteen rubbed her hand over her face. "Ugh. You know that last night was not the first time we slept together?" She groaned at the look Leelee gave her. "You should know that the first time didn't end well," she said sadly and looked at the ground, "I called out Krillin's name during sex."

Leelee's eyes went wide and her mouth formed a small o. "Well that's no bueno," she said, not knowing what else to say. She cringed the more she thought about it. That was definitely not a good start to a relationship. "So, ah, how'd he react when you did that? I mean, obviously he got over it if he took you out last night and everything. But still…" She blinked again. "Oh my god, please tell me you didn't make the same mistake last night."

"No, not last night." She sighed and rubbed her face, "He reacted as about as well as you would think if someone called them a different name in bed. He went still, made me coffee and sent me on my way. He left the hospital early the next day, not a word to me. I thought I wouldn't see him again, but then this day..."

Leelee listened with rapt attention as Eighteen told her about the flowers, the candy, the day at the spa, the dress, and their dinner. She found her heart melting the more Eighteen talked about the amazing day that Tora planned for her. "Awww! He's so sweet! Who'd have thought, huh? I mean, what with him being a Saiyan and all. I never would've thought he was so romantic," she grinned. That was a lie, of course. She remembered reading his runes several months ago and learning that he had liked Eighteen back then. "So then you went and had mind-blowing sex, right?"

Eighteen laughed and nodded. "Yeah, yeah we did," she said. "Okay you little minx. We had sex while wearing my dress. Gave me the best tongue I've ever had in a while and he is rather big, probably bigger than Seventeen, but I really don't want to think about that," she said, waving her hand at her, "I left him this morning. Early while he was still asleep."

"Wait. You did what?" Leelee asked, confused. "You didn't even say goodbye to him or anything?" When Eighteen shook her head, she cried, "WHY? Eighteen, what on earth were you thinking? He went out of his way to make an awesome day for you yesterday. Did he do something to ruin the night for you somehow? I'm sorry, I don't mean to snap at you. I just, I'm confused. It sounds like yesterday was amazing. I'm just trying to understand why you snuck out this morning." She gave her friend a sad look. She usually understood Eighteen so well. The two of them were extremely close; they shared everything, even the most embarrassing or intimate details. Even when Eighteen didn't want to hear it about her brother. In fact, Leelee took quite a bit of delight in trying to make Eighteen uncomfortable with stories about her sexcapades with Seventeen.

Eighteen shook her head. "No he was… everything I could have dreamed of. He gave me a second chance, loved me, made me feel like I was the only woman in the world for him." She wiped at her eyes as tears appeared, "Krillin did the same." She couldn't stop the tears flowing as she looked up at Leelee, the other girl like a sister to her. "I can't do this again, Leelee. If I fall in love again and I lose him… I'll be broken. I don't think there's any coming back from that."

A sad smile pulled at Leelee's lips as she understood. "You don't have to fall in love with him. Can't you just enjoy his company? I mean, I know it's been over a year since Krillin died, but still, I think it's a little sudden to even entertain the idea of love. Not saying you think you're in love now, I know you're not, but I get that you are afraid that it'll get to that point." She sighed and reached out to grab Eighteen's hand. "I think he could be good for you. But you have to do what you think is best, too. Just don't write him off completely, you know?"

Eighteen squeezed Leelee's hands in her own, looking up at her with a smile. "See? I think this is the reason you are with my brother. To give me the sister I've always wanted," she said honestly. "I do enjoy his company. I'm just worried about what it could become, you know? I don't want to be hurt again. I don't want Marron to be hurt again. How else do I prevent it?"

"I don't know if you can," Leelee answered in her soft southern drawl. She chewed her lip for a moment, thinking it over. "I mean, I think everyone gets hurt at some point or another in a relationship. You know Seventeen and I don't always get along, we have moments where things aren't great. But it's worth it. I wouldn't trade him for anything, even if he is a pervy jerk sometimes." She giggled at her own admission. "I guess you just have to decide if he's worth risking your heart for or not."

Eighteen pulled back, leaning her head against the chair as she looked up at the ceiling. Tora would do anything for her. She had no doubt that he would do something foolish and risk everything to protect Marron and herself. Had he risked his heart already? Was he worth the risk? "I don't know. I just know I don't want to be hurt again. To love someone like I did with Krillin. I gave him everything. I didn't think there was anything left until Tora started romancing me."

"Well, then just take some time for yourself to think about it," Leelee said with a shrug. "You don't have to rush into anything. Just, you know, keep doing what you're doing. Hanging out with him. Let him buy you stuff. Fuck his sexy Saiyan brains out…" She paused and giggled. "You know you want to." She casually sat back and looked at her friend. "Don't have to make it into anything serious until you're ready. IF you're ever ready. Just have some fun for once. You need it."

Eighteen laughed, honest and true. "It seems like it's been a while since I've had any fun at all," she said, rubbing at the back of her head. "You're right." She looked at her, "I suppose I might have said the same thing to you when you were going through your troubles." She smiled at Leelee, "Thanks. I'll have to think about this, but you are right."

"I'm always right," Leelee beamed. She jumped as the door burst open and Tora stood there, looking breathless.

"Eighteen!" Tora gasped. "Is everything okay? Where's Marron? I woke up and you were gone. I thought I might find you here. Nothing happened to her, did it?" His heart was hammering against his ribs, his stomach coiling painfully. He couldn't figure out why else she would have left so early in the morning without a word goodbye to him. And even then, he couldn't understand why she didn't wake him if something had happened to Marron unless she was just in that much of a hurry to get to the hospital.

Eighteen winced and stood up, taking Tora's arm and looking toward's Leelee, "Could you give us a moment?" She watched as Leelee nodded and left them alone in the room. Eighteen sighed and rubbed at his arm, "Tora, I'm sorry. Marron is fine. I left this morning because… I was scared, I don't know what I was thinking."

Tora blinked at her and tipped his head to the side. His voice was gentle as he spoke. "Scared? Sweetheart, why are you scared? If I did something to frighten you, I'm sorry." He swallowed harshly. Who knew what he might've done in his sleep? There were some things that soldiers never forgot that could haunt their dreams. He hoped he hadn't shouted or done anything in his sleep to scare her.

Eighteen winced and shook her head. "No, I didn't mean it like that." She reached up and cupped his cheek, "I'm just afraid of moving too fast. This relationship and everything. You understand?" She leaned against him. "I enjoy being with you, I really do. I just don't want to ruin a good thing."

Tora heaved a sigh of relief and wrapped his heavily muscled arms around her, holding her securely for a moment. "Okay," he answered. "No moving too fast. From now on, when we're done, I'll kick ya out and send ya home. How about that?" he chuckled, leaning back to look down at her. Maybe he had come on a little too strong the day before with the dress and everything. Perhaps he'd taken it over the top.

Eighteen mock punched him in the face. "No, that's just rude," she said teasingly, "I'll just… I don't know." She ran a hand through her hair. "I'm not making this easy on you, am I?"

Tora chuckled. "Darlin', nothing's ever been easy in my life. And that's the way I like it. I love a challenge," he grinned and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He stepped back from her and asked, "So, should we go find Marron and your brother? They're probably terrorizing the whole damn hospital."

She smiled at him, feeling lighter for it. "Yeah, let's go find them. I'd buy you lunch, but hospital food isn't that great. You deserve better."

"I'm actually not hungry at the moment," Tora admitted as they walked down the hallway together. His stomach was still a little twisted up. He managed to keep his expression pleasant, although he was rather confused. Not take things too fast? He honestly had no idea what that meant, except for the fact that perhaps she was uncomfortable with sleeping next to him. Which made no sense in his mind. Or was it the dinner and all of that? No, she'd seemed pleased with her day yesterday. And it couldn't be the sex. Could it? That was the best sex Tora had ever had. Surely she felt… well, okay, maybe it wasn't the best she'd ever had, but he knew she'd enjoyed it. Tora blinked his eyes harshly and gave his head a little shake. Women were so damn confusing.

They found Marron in the cafeteria, happily eating bowls of pudding with Seventeen and Leelee. Tora felt pride swell in his chest; Marron was eating without getting pudding all over her face like she'd done with the ice cream. Her muscles were getting stronger, she was gaining more control over her body. He grinned and moved to sit next to her, pretending to steal her pudding cup from her. He chuckled at the way she scrunched up her face at him and protectively pulled her bowl closer to her. "Look at you. You'll be able to go home before you know it. You're getting strong, little one," he said. "And once you're back in your own house, then we'll really work on getting your memory back. I'll help you, if you want."

Marron's eyes lit up and she nodded happily. She was starting to remember fragments of her mother, but that was about it. "I'd like that! I'm trying really hard!" she said as her mother sat down next to her. "Can we go home soon now?" she asked as she ate another spoonful of the pudding and grinned. "I like this, did I like this before? I must have," she said and nodded her own agreement with herself.

Eighteen chuckled. "Yes, you did like that before, but it's hard to resist chocolate pudding," she said, looking up at Tora and giving him a sly wink. Oh, she would have to make some fresh chocolate pudding when she got home and see how he liked it on her. Or if she would like it on him. She ran her tongue over her lips as she thought about it, smiling faintly.

Tora didn't miss her wink or the way she licked her lips. He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, trying to ignore the way his body stirred. Why did she have to turn him on like that so much? And she'd just got done saying she wanted to take things slow. He felt like banging his head on the table. "It won't be long now before you're back home," he promised Marron.

* * *

><p>It was only a little over a week later when they were finally able to take Marron home. Tora could see how excited both she and Eighteen were and he was excited for them. He was glad to be away from the hospital and he knew they would be, too. He grinned widely as they entered the little house, carrying their bags for them. "See? Home sweet home," he said to Marron, watching her carefully, looking for any sign that she remembered her home.<p>

Marron stopped short when she entered her home, causing Tora to bump into her. She blinked as she looked around, frowning as her brow creased in thought. She wandered over to the couch, trailing her hands over the soft fabric, looking at the fire place. The pictures scattered around. She hugged herself and looked over at Tora and Eighteen who looked at her hopefully. Her eyes teared up, she didn't want to disappoint these wonderful people. "I'm sorry. I don't remember any of this."

Eighteen felt her heart sink again, but she was not going to let it get her down. The doctors said it would take time. That when she remembered, it could happen overnight, it could happen if she saw a particular image she had a strong connection with. Or it might never happen. In which case she was just going to have to do her best to make sure she would remember everyone now. She was going to make dead sure that she remembered who her father was. She smiled at her baby girl, "That's okay sweetie, it's just our first day back. After you spend some time here and go around like you used to, it'll come back to you."

Tora nodded. "Your mother's right. Don't worry about it. You've had a long day today already," he said. It was true; checking out of the hospital was a lot more entailed than he'd expected. He set the bags down and smiled at Marron. "Why don't we take you to your room? That might help. And even if you don't remember, you've got all sorts of cool things up there, lots of toys. And all your faeries and mermaids. Do you remember those?"

Marron smiled brightly, "I have toys?" She looked at her mother and got excited, grabbing Tora's hand and tugging on it. "Which room is my room? I want to go see!" she said excitedly and looked around, giggling as the Saiyan picked her up. She laughed as she was tossed over his shoulder. She waved at her mother and looked down, watching the strange appendage below her, "Your belt is loose."

"My belt?" Tora asked, looking down at his clothes. His belt was fine. He blinked, then laughed as he realized what she meant. He carried her into her room and set her down. "It's not a belt. It's my tail," he explained and unwound it from his waist. He waved it in front of her face. "All Saiyans are born with a tail. You probably don't remember Prince Vegeta, but he has a tail, too. We'll go see him and his family sometime soon."

Marron blinked at the tail, reaching for it and her mouth went into a small 'o' when she felt how soft it was. "Does it come off?" she asked before she looked up at him again. A snort of laughter by the door drew her attention to her mother and she giggled at the way she looked, her hand over her face. "What? Why is that funny?"

"No, it does not come off," Tora answered firmly as he shot a look over his shoulder at Eighteen. "But your mother likes to threaten to cut it off when I make her mad," he added with a snicker. He curled it back around his waist, shooting Eighteen a suspicious look. "Yes, Eighteen, why is that so funny?"

Eighteen couldn't stop the smirk on her lips. "Oh it can come off, but only once. It doesn't go back on. Although, duct tape is a wonderful thing," she said, giving them a wink, imagining Tora walking around with a chopped off tail, the dead part duct taped to his body and dragging limply behind him, "Don't worry. I rather like that tail. I won't be getting rid of it any time soon."

Tora stood up straighter and crossed his arms over his chest, trying to look intimidating. "Now listen here, toots. You won't be getting rid of my tail EVER. And if you so much as think about putting duct tape on it, you will sorely regret it," he growled. He shuddered at the thought of that tape sticking in his fur, matting it. Oh dear gods, it would be a nightmare to get that out.

Marron blinked up innocently at Tora, "What's 'toots' mean?"

Eighteen tilted her head back and laughed, "Yeah, you have fun explaining that one. I'm going to make you guys some dinner. Good thing Bulma went shopping for us, bought a whole cow just to feed you. Don't know what Marron and me will eat, but I imagine we can have the scraps."

Tora rolled his eyes as she headed back down the hall. "Ah, it's just a silly name I call your mother to irritate her," he answered. "I got lots of names for her. And some choice ones are rolling through my brain right now," he added under his breath. He smiled when he saw the pink unicorn on Marron's bed and he picked it up, showing it to her. "I got this for you on your birthday," he said. "You really liked it. I know you won't remember that. But that's okay."

Marron smiled at the large unicorn and grabbed it from him, pressing her face into the softness. "It's SO FLUFFY!" she squealed and giggled, holding it tightly to her. "I don't remember it, but anything this soft has to be good! Thank you, Tora! It's wonderful!" She blinked down at the shiny eyes of the stuffed animal, "When was my birthday?"

Tora swallowed harshly and sat down on his knees in front of her. "It was a few months ago. Your mom planned a big party for you. And you invited me. Your mom wasn't too pleased that I showed up. She and I weren't exactly friends then," he admitted. He gave a soft smile and looked at her. "But I was happy to go to your party." He cleared his throat, not sure if he should tell her what happened that day, but then he decided she had a right to know. "That was the day you hit your head. You and your friends climbed the fence and you fell over the cliff. I tried to protect you, but you hit your head before I got to you. Dende saved your life, though. He healed you as much as he could, but you were still asleep."

Marron tried to keep up with the stories, lifting a hand to the back of her head as she tried to feel a bump. She frowned, looking sadly down at the unicorn in her grasp. "I don't know who Dende is," she said, "but if he tried healing me, was he one of the doctors at the hospital?" She thought hard, trying to imagine him, but the only thing that came to mind was a dark silhouette.

Tora chuckled. "No, Dende's better than any doctor," he answered. "Dende is the Guardian of Earth. He protects the people and the planet as much as he is able. He's a Namek. He and Piccolo both are. They're both tall with big, pointy ears and green skin. You're friends with Piccolo's daughters. Anyway, I caught you before you hit the ground and Dende did his best to heal your head." He reached out and lightly ruffled her pale blonde hair. "I'm sorry I couldn't get to you before you got hurt, little one."

Marron blinked at him a moment, looking shocked, but she nodded, "You know, I think I remember someone telling me it was okay, that you saved my life and all I had was a bump on my head." She smiled at him, "So, thank you for catching me before something worse happened." She said happily.

A small relief seemed to wash over him. He was afraid she'd be upset or angry with him for not protecting her better. "You're welcome," he said thickly and pulled the little girl into a warm hug. "I will always do everything I can to protect you, Marron. And to protect your mom. I promise." He squeezed her a little tighter before he pulled back and looked at her. "You smell that? I think your mom's cooking something good. You wanna grab something to eat?"

Marron nodded and hopped off the bed, reaching up to take Tora's hand, "Yeah! Let's eat! I'm starving!"


	26. She'll Surprise You

Lindsey reclined on her bed, leaning heavily against Gohan who was sitting beside her. She was exhausted, but she smiled sleepily at her family in the bedroom with her. Her labor had gone surprisingly fast; it was only midday now. "You make good babies," she murmured to Gohan as she looked at her baby girl in Goku's arms.

"I'll second that," Sabriena said, grinning at her husbands as each of them held one of the twins. Goku had practically stolen baby Scarlett from Gohan while they had to persuade Tien to hold the baby boy, who had been named Rowan. She leaned on Tien's shoulder as he sat in the rocking chair and looked down at the sleeping newborn. "You sure you're glad we decided not to have our own?" she asked quietly.

Tien chuckled. "Yeah. We have Goten. And if you wanna hold a baby, just come over here," he answered without looking up from the baby. "That's the best way to do it anyway. We can hold 'em until they throw a fit and then we just give them back to their parents." He had to admit, the little buggers were awfully cute, though. He smiled as little Rowan opened his big dark eyes and stared back at him. "Hey there," he said softly and smiled wider as the baby yawned and snuggled against him.

Sabriena rolled her eyes to the ceiling and shook her head. "You're not bringing that thing home," she scolded. She shot a look over at Goku, narrowing her eyes accusingly. "And neither can you."

Goku pouted at Sabriena, giving her his best puppy dog eyes that he could muster up, "Awww, come on Sabriena. This one isn't bad. You can dress her up in pink, frilly things." He smiled down at the little girl, his heart warming as her little tail curled around his wrist. "I wonder if we could make her a cute little fighter's gi for the tournaments. How old do they have to be before they can enter?" He cooed back at the little one in his arms.

He looked up and over at Tien, smiling at his husband. To see such a large man carefully holding that tiny life, his grandson. Their grandson. It just warmed him in a way he didn't think possible. He looked back at Sabriena, a scheming look in his eyes as he looked her up and down. Maybe if he took her to planet Namek they could undo the thing she did to herself. Or maybe skip the middle man and just wish for a baby that had all three of their features.

Goten heard his name and wandered in, smiling widely at Sabriena before he looked at the little babies in his dads' arms. "Gosh, are they supposed to be that tiny?" He looked frightened for a moment, "I think they could break just by looking at them." He looked around a moment later, looking confused. "Hey Dads? Where do babies come from?"

Tien's spine went stiff at Goten's question and he finally looked up from the baby in his arms. "Uh," he said with a nervous laugh, his mind working a million miles an hour. "You know, buddy, I've never had a kid of my own, so I'm not really sure." He snickered at the looks everyone gave him and he cringed as Sabriena slapped his shoulder. "Hey!" he growled at her. "I'm holding a baby. No hitting right now."

"Fine, then I'll just kick you instead," she answered and promptly kicked his shin. She turned to Goten and cleared her throat, but then stopped the next minute. How did you explain that sort of thing to an eight-year-old? He was too young to know all the details, yet old enough to not fall for the stork or the cabbage patch lie. She turned to look at Goku and saw the look in his eyes as if he was still plotting something. "I don't like it when you look at me like that," she said darkly. She looked to Gohan a moment later, "Goten, I bet your brother could answer that question for you better than anyone else here could." She bit her lips together, trying to hide the smirk on her face.

"Oh listen to you bunch carrying on like this," Gramma said as she entered the bedroom and went to Lindsey's side, swiping the cool wet washcloth across her face. She was proud of how well her granddaughter had handled her labor this time and she pressed a kiss to Lindsey's forehead before she looked at Goten. "Goten, we'll tell you when you're older. Trust me, you don't want to hear it now. It'll gross you out." She wrinkled her nose teasingly at the little boy.

Goten wrinkled his nose and nodded at Gramma. "Okay," he said and went over to the older woman, smiling at her as his hand went to his little Thor hammer. "Can we have some chocolate cake?" He loved it when he got to visit with Gramma. Chocolate cake for breakfast, no homework and dancing naked under the moonlight. He hadn't taken off his protective necklace since that day. The last day Chichi laid a hand on him.

"Well of course we can!" Gramma smiled at him. "You know I always have chocolate cake for you." She reached over and ruffled his untidy black hair. She clapped her hands together and looked around. "So, who else wants chocolate cake? Goku, you know you can't say no to chocolate cake."

Goku chuckled at Goten. "No fair! You can't make me decide between babies and chocolate cake!" he said before he looked back down at the little girl. "No they can't! They can't make me," he cooed before he looked over at Sabriena, "Come on, hold your granddaughter."

"Granddaughter?!" Sabriena shrieked. "Oh no, mister. NO. I'm younger than their mother! I absolutely REFUSE to be called a grandma!" She narrowed her eyes at her Saiyan husband, "You are dangerously close to cooking your own meals for a week." She sighed and held out her hands. "Alright, I'll hold her," she sighed and let Goku tuck the baby into her arms. "You are cute," she said to the baby.

Tien chuckled at the antics between his wife and husband. "They sure keep things entertaining," he said to the little bundle in his arms. "Just you wait. Your grandpa's gonna teach you all about martial arts. And I'll teach you all about fishing and hunting. And maybe your grandma will teach you how to cook." He snickered and cringed as Sabriena aimed another kick at him. "Gotta watch her though. She's mean."

"We're gonna have to send the kids to babysit THEM," Lindsey snickered to Gohan. She yawned and snuggled more against his side, smiling at her family. She tilted her head up towards her husband and asked, "So we're good now, right? There's four kids to raise in this house. You think you're done getting me pregnant?"

Gohan laughed, "Are you kidding? Dad is going to steal them all, we will have to make a few more until he's done enjoying his grandbabies. Let him take the twins, they'll probably be nothing but trouble."

Goku chuckled and stood up with a stretch before he went over to his husband and knelt down next to him, peering at Rowan, "Wow, look at those eyes! So big!" He laughed and looked over at his son and daughter-in-law, "I wish I could have a few more, but Gohan's right. I'll just steal my grandkids and pretend." He sighed happily and leaned against Tien, nuzzling at the mark on his neck tenderly.

Tien blushed at the contact, the warmth that seemed to fill his entire being. While he knew no one there would judge them, he was still a bit uncomfortable with public displays of affection, even though Goku wasn't. "You're trouble," he murmured to his mate before he pressed a quick, but firm kiss to Goku's mark. He gave a start when the baby in Sabriena's arms began to wail.

"Oh god! It's crying! It's crying!" Sabriena gasped and quickly handed baby Scarlett back to Lindsey. Her eyes were wide and she looked terrified as if she'd done something wrong. "This is why I don't do kids." She turned to Goten and tapped his nose with her finger. "You should feel special. You are the ONLY kid that I like."

Gramma laughed and shook her head. "I think that baby needs feeding," she said to her granddaughter before she looked at Goku and his mates. "Why don't we all go downstairs and have some cake?" she suggested. She snickered as Goku pouted when Tien got to his feet and carefully handed Rowan back to Gohan. She linked her arm with Goku's. "Come on now. Those babies aren't going anywhere. Come have some cake and let them all rest for awhile. And then you're going to take me to the Lookout. I'm going to force-feed Jenny some of this cake, too."

Goku laughed and nodded, watching happily as Goten jumped into Sabriena's arms. "Easy there kiddo, you are getting big! Soon you'll be carrying her!" He smiled and watched as his son stuck his tongue out at them. He sighed. "No respect," he said before he looked down at Gramma, "I know Jenny has been hurting. Vegeta didn't say much, but it's bad. She shaved her head at Catie's insistence."

Gramma sighed as she led the way into the kitchen and cut big slices of the cake for each of them. "We knew this wouldn't be easy on her," she said sadly. "I just wish she wasn't being so stubborn. I know you and Jenny didn't like the idea of marijuana, but I'm telling you, it would help her." She busied herself with packing up a second cake and laughed lightly at the questioning look on Sabriena's face. "I told you I'm force-feeding her this. And if I remember correctly, that guardian has quite the sweet tooth as well."

"Yes, that's just what her kids need is sugar," Sabriena snickered. She laughed and reached over to wipe the icing from Goten's nose as he quickly ate his cake. "You're a mess," she teased before she looked at Goku and threw her head back to laugh even louder. He had icing on his nose as well. "Like father, like son." She shook her head and turned to Gramma, "Good luck getting Piccolo to eat any cake. Last time I offered him some, he threw it over the edge."

Goku laughed, leaning against Sabriena, giving her a chocolate kiss before he finally ate the last bite and pushed his plate back. "I remember you telling me that. If anyone can get Piccolo to eat cake, it would be Gramma, though I think it might make him sick." He snickered and looked over to Arthusia, wondering if he could bribe her and Sabriena to make the Zuppa Tuscana later. "You ready to go to the Lookout?"

She smiled and nodded. "Ready when you are," she said and took his arm in her hand. "We won't be gone too long. You all stay here and help out Gohan and Lindsey if they need anything." She smiled when Sabriena and Tien nodded. "Okay, let's go," she said to Goku and the next thing she knew, they were standing on the Lookout. Gramma chuckled, "Have I ever mentioned how handy you are to have around?"

Goku smiled and laughed. "You might have mentioned it once or twice, but I think you are just using me to get to Vegeta," he said as he looked around, smiling as he saw Dende standing near the edge, just a few feet away. "Hey! How's it going?"

Dende smiled as he looked over at his friend, bowing slightly to Gramma. "Very well, despite a few things here and there. Arthusia, it is a pleasure to see you again." He stood up straighter, "I see why you are here, she is out back. Doing what you proposed before and are thinking of proposing just now. You will have Vegeta to thank for that."

Gramma lifted an eyebrow. "Oh really?" she asked, an air of smugness about her. "Well then, I suppose I won't have to force her to eat this," she said, holding up the large chocolate cake. She grinned and gave a wink to Dende. "And yes, dear, there's plenty for you here as well. Would you mind taking it to the kitchen for me? We'll be along shortly. First I have to give her hell for not listening to me in the first place."

Goku watched as Dende took the cake, not liking the look that he was giving it. "Are we sure that's a good idea to let him take it? There might not be anything left when we get there," he said as they walked back to the opposite side of the Lookout. A sweet herbal scent hit Goku's nose and he knew immediately what it was. Jenny was sitting on the edge of the Lookout, leaning back. She had a green scarf tied around her head and she was still skin and bones from what he could see. He nearly stopped short, "Vegeta didn't say it was this bad."

"Caught ya," Gramma teased, refusing to show a reaction to how impossibly skinny Jenny was. She was certain that Jenny had had plenty of those and didn't need one more. She promptly settled herself on the tile next to Jenny and smiled at her. "See? I told you so. Now if only you had listened to me."

Jenny tilted her head to see Gramma and Goku sitting next to her. She sighed and held a hand to her head. "See, now I don't know if you are really here or not, but since I'm sure I would have Piccolo show up naked if I was hallucinating, it must really be you guys." She sighed and gave the bong a push towards Gramma. "I had chemo today. They've upped my dosage and frequency so the nausea has been worse than usual," she said as she winced and put a hand over her chest for a moment but then relaxed and laid back on the tile. "The only bad thing about this stuff is it makes me cough so much, it's starting to hurt."

Goku didn't know if he approved of it, Lindsey had been addicted to this stuff, among other things. "Is it really okay for her to do this?" He shut his mouth thinking that they would all help her break the habit once she was cancer free, "Nevermind."

Gramma patted Goku's hand reassuringly. "It's just temporary. Think of it as medicine," she said softly before she looked at Jenny. She rubbed gently at her back, wishing there was more that she could do for her. She gave the bong a little push back towards Jenny. "You finish that. You need it. And when you're done, I've brought you a surprise. I made that chocolate cake you like so much. But you better hurry up before Dende eats it all. Perhaps entrusting it to him wasn't the brightest decision I made today. It's been a long day."

Jenny gratefully took back the bong and took another long hit off of it, breathing the smoke slowly up into the air, sighing out. "I hate this cancer. I wanted to be there when Lindsey's twins were born. How are they?" she asked as she had another hit before she emptied out the used bowl of ashes over the edge and turned away from the edge. Goku was at her side in an instant to help steady her.

"Adorable, but Sabriena won't let me bring them home," he pouted. "I bet she would look so beautiful pregnant." He sighed but waved his hand, "Too much information, I know, but I can't help thinking it."

Gramma laughed at him as she got to her feet. "There's nothing wrong with thinking a pregnant woman is beautiful," she said as she went to Jenny's other side, making sure that she didn't falter in her steps. "Don't you worry. You'll have your hands full with those grandbabies as it is." She paused when they reached the kitchen and she beamed at Dende. "Look at you. You didn't get into the cake yet. I'm so proud," she teased.

Dende chuckled and pulled back a chair for Jenny, watching as the two set her down in it before he served them slices of chocolate cake. "Just remind me to save some for Rose. She will kill me if I don't leave her any." He sighed as he ate the decadent treat, "You have my deepest thanks for this." He watched as Jenny happily ate at the cake, slowly, but she was able to keep food down now. "Piccolo and I were both surprised to find out Vegeta was the one to suggest the marijuana for her."

"No," Gramma gasped before she threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, I'm liking that prince more and more." She ate her cake for a moment, a thoughtful, yet mischievous look crossing her face. She swallowed and attempted to sound nonchalant, but knew she failed miserably, "Goku, dear, do you think we could swing by Capsule Corp before we go back to Gohan's this afternoon?"

Goku snorted into his cake, "You just want to pinch his ass again, or bounce a quarter off of it." He pouted and hunkered down in his chair. "It's not that great as babies" he said but couldn't keep his pout and smiled at her, "Who am I kidding? I love watching you torture Vegeta. Of course we can swing by."

Gramma tried to hide her smile and once again failed. "It'll give you an excuse to brag about those new grandbabies," she said. She smiled and waved as Piccolo entered the kitchen. "Come sit with us. There's plenty of cake for you if you want any."

"No thanks," he answered, but sat next to his wife and smiled at her. It was so good to see her eating again. He leaned over to kiss her cheek. It had been a long morning at the hospital, sitting with her as she did her treatment. "You look like you're feeling a little better than you did this morning."

Jenny couldn't stop the giggle that escaped her and she nodded, leaning against her husband. "Gramma was right, I should have listened to her advice and just did this from the beginning." She sobered up and looked at the moist chocolate cake in front of her. "But pot controls a big part of my sister's life. It hurt Lindsey. I don't want to end up like some drug addict who can't control herself. I have to beat this."

"Your circumstances are different," he reminded her and wrapped his arm around her thin shoulders. He'd been a little leery of it at first, but after seeing how much better Jenny felt when using it, he didn't worry about it anymore. If there were problems with it down the road after she was healed, then they would deal with those bridges when they got to them. "You're going to beat this. I know you are."

Jenny smiled and nodded, "Just put me through Goku's sobriety program and I'll be right as rain." She looked down at her empty plate and a blush spread across her cheeks as her stomach growled loudly. "I feel like eating everything and then watching the Big Lebowski at the same time," she said. "That movie makes so much more sense when you are high."

Gramma cut Jenny another big slice of the cake and set it in front of her. "Well then, eat up. I made it for you, so eat until you can't possibly take another bite." She sat back and chuckled. "If anything will put weight on you, that will. Trouble used to get mad at me for feeding it to her all the time. She loves it, but she swore it went straight to her hips."

Goku perked up at that and looked mischievously at the cake before back at Gramma. "And Tien and I will thank you for that," he teased.

Jenny chuckled, "You know, maybe I should get out, come back with you and see the babies. I know Paige would love to see Goten and I know there's got to be plenty of food around there. Everyone does a celebration for this. Gramma does at least. Come on Piccolo, you can't tell me you don't want to see Gohan's new kids."

Piccolo gave a small smile. "Yeah, I think I'd like to," he answered. He knew Paige would be happy to see Goten. But more to the point, he was excited that Jenny wanted to get out and visit their family and friends. That was a good sign, wasn't it? "I'll get the girls up from their nap and then we can go," he said and went to their bedroom to wake his daughters.

Gramma cleaned up the empty plates while they waited for Piccolo to get Alice and Paige ready. "Okay, then," she said as she dried her hands and turned back around. "I guess we're ready to go. Dende, don't forget to save a piece of that for your wife," she teased with a wink. She smiled brightly at the two little half-nameks when they walked in, still looking slightly sleepy. "There's those darling little girls! Are you ready to go?"

Paige's eyes widened and she gave a laugh as she ran over and jumped into Arthusia's arms. "Gamma, Gamma! We go see babies now?!" she asked excitedly before looking over at Goku, "and Goten?"

Alice calmly walked over to Arthusia, giving her leg a hug before she looked back over at Dende. He had said something about lessons that afternoon and she didn't want to miss them. Something about focusing energy.

Gramma smiled and picked up little Alice. "We won't be gone long," she said, feeling Alice's conflicted emotions, her want to go and see the new babies, but her devotion to her lessons with Dende. "I'm sure that there will be plenty of time for your lesson with Dende when you get back." She looked to the tall Namek, "You don't mind if she comes with us for a little while do you, Dende?"

Dende chuckled and shook his head as he took a separate piece of chocolate cake and put it into the fridge for his wife later, "Of course not. Have fun little Alice. There will be plenty of time later for lessons. Go and enjoy meeting the new babies. Tell me all about them alright?" He watched as his little protégé nodded and hugged Gramma's neck, feeling more at peace then. It had been a hot minute since they'd had an outing, it would be good for all of them.

"Good!" Gramma smiled and walked over to Goku. "Well then, let's get back to Gohan's house. See? I told you I wouldn't keep you away from those babies for very long. We can go by Capsule Corp later. I'm staying for a few days. We don't have to rush around like crazy."

Piccolo took Jenny's hand and helped her to stand. "Now don't overdo it. Don't push yourself while we're out," he reminded her softly. Going out with her at her suggestion made him happy and gave him hope that perhaps she would be healthy again soon. It had been a very long time since they had gone anywhere together except for the hospital. "Let's go, Goku."

* * *

><p>Tien jumped when they appeared in the kitchen of Gohan's home. "Jeez, you'd think I'd get used to that," he grumbled and rubbed at his face with both hands. He got to his feet to greet his friends; he hadn't made it to the Lookout to see Piccolo or Jenny for quite some time. His heart sank when he saw Jenny. Goku and Sabriena told him that she'd lost weight, but he hadn't expected to see her so sickly thin like this. "Hey girl," he said, "it's good to see you." He looked from her to Piccolo, voicing his question to both of them, "How are you holding up?"<p>

Jenny nodded tiredly. "Holding up as well can be expected. Had to take a different form of medication so I'm hungry. Hopefully I'll start looking less like a skeleton here pretty soon," she said looking up at him before she went to sit down at the table. "So, I know there's a feast hiding around here somewhere."

Tien chuckled at that. "Oh, you know it. Sabriena's digging in the pantry right now," he said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder at the opened door. "She said she's gonna feed everyone and have Arthusia bless it. I think Goten's going to help her."

"PAIGE!" Goten roared, cutting Tien off. He ran forward and hugged the little Namek. "I didn't know you were going to come play today!" He was absolutely beaming, his eyes lit up as if Christmas had come early. "Let's go play!"

"Or not," Tien added with a chuckle. "Sabriena, I think you lost your helper."

Goten blinked, suddenly torn. He wanted to cook, but he wanted to play with Paige, too. He chewed his lip, trying to decide what to do. He loved cooking, but he knew that Sabriena would let him do that any time he wanted. He didn't get to see Paige all the time. He wondered if his mommy would be mad if he chose to go play just this once.

Sabriena poked her head out of the pantry. "Go play, Goten. It's okay. You can help me cook supper tonight at home, okay? You're coming back to the cabin with us for the weekend. Besides, you don't wanna be here tonight. Those babies are gonna cry all night long," she said with a snicker.

Goten's eyes lit up again. "Okay!" he cried happily and let Paige jump on his back before he ran out of the kitchen and into the backyard.

Sabriena smiled and shook her head as she turned to look inside the pantry again, gathering up everything she needed. She cringed the next second as a high-pitched scream met her ears, followed by a tiny voice crying, "Grampa! Grampa! Grampa!" She looked over her shoulder to see Phoenix jumping up and down, tugging on the leg of Goku's pants. "There are too many damn kids around here," she muttered under her breath.

Goku laughed, reaching down and picking up Phoenix and cuddled with him as he watched Goten and Paige run away. "You know what, I think they'll probably get married and have little green kids with tails!" he chuckled and grinned over at Piccolo.

Jenny laughed. "That would be so adorable," she said before she looked over at Sabriena, "Thanks for the scarves dear."

Sabriena smiled as she set an armful of ingredients on the counter. "That color looks good on you," she said and went to hug her friend. "Do you need any more? I can pick some more up for you if you want me to. Or anything else you need. You just let me know. Are you hungry? I'm gonna make Gramma's soup for everyone."

Jenny nodded, "I'm starving, actually and no thank you. I'm quite good on the scarf front." She smiled and hugged her friend back, wishing she had more strength, "I wish I had more energy, I hardly feel motivated to do anything. I don't know if that's the pot or my skeleton self."

Piccolo frowned as he thought about Goku's comment. "I think they're a little young to be thinking about such things," he said darkly. Not that he had a problem with Goten, not at all, but he didn't think anyone would ever be good enough for his little girl. A protectiveness rose up in him and he had to stop himself from growling. It was silly, he knew that, Paige was only four after all. But he shuddered to think about what she would be like in ten or so years. Good gods, they were going to have to lock her down in the mazes of the Lookout until she was thirty-five. "She's never going out in public. Ever," Piccolo said, shooting a look at his wife.

Gramma snickered. "Good luck with that, Piccolo," she said as she pushed up her sleeves and went to the stove with Sabriena. "That girl is too wild and free-spirited to be kept. She'll do what she wants when she wants and I doubt you'll have much say in the matter." She said it with a definite tone of approval and pride in her voice. "Just the way a woman should be. There's no controlling that one." She paused and murmured something under her breath as she waved her hands over the food Sabriena was cooking on the stove. She turned to face the tall Namek again. "But this one," she said, tapping a finger lightly to little Alice's nose, "this is the one you need to watch out for."

Piccolo's brow raised and he looked down at the little girl in his arms. Alice was so quiet, so obedient and well-behaved. She never threw a fit or went out of her way to make trouble like her sister did. She liked to learn her lessons from Dende and help clean up when she could, she liked to sit quietly beside her father and mimic him when he meditated. She had no interest in fighting like Paige did. Never once had she ever acted interested in training, not even when Vegeta offered to take her into the gravity room with him. She was too peaceful, too even-tempered. The complete opposite of her sister. He couldn't imagine her being the one he needed to keep an eye on. "What makes you say that?"

Gramma smiled knowingly. "She'll surprise you one of these days."

Jenny looked over at Alice in Piccolo's arms. "Born during battle on the night of a full moon with dragons. I think she will surprise us. It's always the quiet ones you have to look out for you know." She chuckled and laid her head down on the table looking over at Gramma, "Dende says she will be the next guardian of earth."

"That wouldn't surprise me one little bit," Gramma answered with a smile. "And she'll do a damn good job of it." She held out her arms and took little Alice from Piccolo, holding her close for a moment.

Piccolo shook his head as he heard his other daughter screaming outside, running and playing with Goten. She'd challenged him to a spar and he could hear her preparing to blast the little Saiyan with a Final Flash. "I'll be back," he muttered and stepped outside, bellowing, "PAIGE!"

Gramma laughed before she looked at Alice. "Now I think you wanted to see those babies, didn't you?" She smiled wider when Alice nodded her head. "We'll be back," Gramma announced. She laughed at the way Alice scrunched up her nose at Phoenix. He'd let out another excited, ear-splitting squeal and Alice didn't approve one bit. Gramma paused and looked over her shoulder. "Jenny, would you like to come with us? I think Lindsey would like to see you. You can make one of these sexy men carry you if you don't feel like walking up the stairs," she snickered.

Jenny laughed and looked around, finally settling her gaze on Tien. "Sabriena, I'mma steal your husband real fast," she said as she reached out for him. "Help a poor cancer patient up those stairs?" she asked.

Tien chuckled. "Sure, no problem," he said and easily scooped Jenny up in his arms before he followed Gramma up the stairs. "I hope you can eat more soon, kiddo. I think a good strong wind might blow you away at this point." He carefully set her down on the bed next to Lindsey once they were inside the room.

"Hey!" Lindsey smiled when she saw Jenny. "Oh my god, I missed you." She swallowed roughly when she saw her, how skinny she was. Tears brimmed in her eyes and she reached for a hug, squeezing Jenny tight. "Baby, I'm sorry," she whispered.

Jenny smiled at Lindsey, leaning over and hugging her tightly for a moment, looking at Tien and gave a laugh. "I know. Piccolo makes sure to keep me tethered to the Lookout, lest I fall. I don't have the energy to stop myself if I got knocked off." She waved her hands dismissively before she turned back to Lindsey. "Look at you, Momma. Good work on those babies," she said, looking over at Alice as she peered at Rowan in Gohan's grasp. "And don't worry about me, weight will start to come back as I eat more. I always wanted to be this thin, just not quite like this."

Lindsey frowned at how skinny Jenny was. "You want some more weight? Cause I'll share. Lord knows I put on plenty with this pregnancy," she grumbled and made herself more comfortable on the bed. She smiled as she watched Gohan get Alice settled on the bed and carefully let her hold Rowan, but hovered close in case her grip slipped. "Look at you holding a baby," she grinned at the little Namek.

Jenny smiled at her daughter, a warmth spreading through her at seeing her holding a baby. "Good heavens, they are growing too fast," she said. "Wasn't she just a baby herself not long ago?" Alice was years beyond her age, mature in her own way. Helpful, quiet, observant. "There's little she misses. Very keen." Jenny laid back against the bed, shoulder to shoulder with her friend, "And you have a daughter now! Just wait, she'll be the leader of your bunch."

Lindsey gave a weak laugh. "Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. I wanted a little girl so I could dress her up in all those cute pink outfits and everything. But watch, with my luck she's gonna be a tomboy," she joked. "Oh, and you missed it earlier. You should've seen Sabriena's reaction when Goku told her to hold her granddaughter. If looks could kill, Dad would be a little pile of ashes right now."

Tien chuckled at that. "No kidding," he said before he looked at Jenny. "I'm gonna go downstairs and supervise, speaking of those two. Make sure Goku doesn't eat all of Sabriena's cooking before the rest of you get a bite. If you need anything, you just holler for me, okay kiddo?"

Jenny smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Tien," she said as she watched him go. "Sabriena got called a grandma, huh?" She couldn't stop the grin from appearing on her face, "I wish I could have seen it. She's changed so much, I've heard Goten call her momma. It's adorable how much they care for each other. I never would have thought Sabriena would ever want to be a mother." She looked over at Gramma who was holding Scarlett. "Bet you didn't even see that one coming."

"No, that one I missed," Gramma agreed. "But this is Goten we're talking about. He's like Goku's mini-me. Those two can worm their way into anyone's heart without even trying." She carefully rocked the baby in her arms, humming a little tune to her. She couldn't stop the smirk that played across her lips. "So I see karma at work here. Jenny got Paige and now Lindsey has Scarlett. These two are going to be payback for all the mischief you two used to cause. Mark my words."

Lindsey gave a dramatic groan and leaned more against Jenny. "If they're anything like we were, we're so screwed."

Jenny snorted. "You say it like I don't already know it," she said. "That girl was trouble since the day she was born, but I wouldn't change it for the world. She'll be running the place before too long I imagine."

Gramma snorted. "She's already running the place, you just don't realize it yet," she said.


	27. Fairy Garden

It was a rare warm day for this time of year. Tora sat cross-legged in the backyard with Marron by his side, his tail swishing in the grass as he very carefully placed the little twigs along the edge of the space they'd cleared in the yard to make her fairy garden. Marron loved things like that - fairies, unicorns, mermaids. The little twig fence was complete and he was amazed at himself for being able to do something so tedious. "Hmm, looks kinda empty, doesn't it, kid?" he asked Marron as he looked down at her. He pondered for a moment, wondering if any of her mother's friends would be interested in contributing to their project. They had a pretty decent-sized area cleared out for the little garden. "You wanna go visit some of your mom's friends and see if they wanna help us out?"

Marron looked up at Tora. "I dunno," she said in a small voice. "Are momma's friends nice? Do they want to meet me?" she asked curiously. She couldn't remember people before the hospital, the doctors were nice to her, but she couldn't place them.

Eighteen watched the pair from her spot at the kitchen sink, washing dishes as she kept an eye on her baby girl. She was exhausted from everything. Losing Krillin, the near apocalypse, Jenny's cancer, and then nearly losing her baby. She hated to admit it, but if Tora hadn't been helping her out, she was certain she would have had a breakdown by now. She was sure of it.

Tora smiled down at Marron and ruffled her pale blonde hair. "Yeah, they're all really nice," he answered. "They'd love to see you." It made him a little sad to hear her ask if they wanted to "meet" her. He wished so bad she could get her memory back. Maybe taking her around to some of the places she used to go and seeing the people she used to know would jar something in her memory, help her out somehow. "I'll go talk to your mom. We can't just disappear. She'd have my tail for it!" he laughed and got to his feet. He waved when he saw Eighteen watching them through the window and trotted up to the back door. "Hey, I was thinking about taking Marron around to some of our friends. See if they have anything they want to contribute to her garden. I thought it might be good for her to see some of them. If, you know, that's okay with you," he said.

Eighteen was once again shocked at his depth of thought. She couldn't stop the frown on her face. "That actually sounds like a good idea. Why didn't I think of that?" she asked numbly, looking back through the window at her daughter as Marron carefully placed twigs around the area, building up a tall wall. She hesitated only a moment at the thought of sending her daughter along with him. "Okay, but make sure to be home by dinner at five," she said as she wiped her hands on her towel and went out into the yard, smiling at her daughter, "So, Tora's taking you on a little trip is he? That's exciting! I want you to tell momma's friends that she says hi, okay?"

Marron smiled and nodded, wrapping her arms around Eighteen's neck in a tight hug, "Love you momma. Don't scare away the fairies!"

Eighteen smiled and handed her to Tora, "Wouldn't dream of it."

Tora chuckled and held Marron close. "Don't worry. We'll be back in time for dinner," he said. "Make sure you make enough!" He laughed at inviting himself to dinner and snapped his fingers, disappearing before Eighteen had a chance to respond.

They reappeared in the yard in front of the cabin and Tora inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of the forest and the river. He loved any excuse he could come up with to visit the cabin. He was secretly a little jealous of Tien's place. He liked it much better than living in the city. Still holding Marron to his side, he wandered around the edge of the cabin and found them in the garden, preparing it for winter. "Look, Marron, there's a big garden," he chuckled and waved at the three working away in the soil. "Look who I have," he grinned at Goku. "We thought we'd go around and say hi to everyone today."

Goku grinned widely as he sat back from the soil and stood up, brushing his hands off on his pants and walked over. "Wow! Look who it is! Our little trooper! We were worried about you, kiddo! Did you come out all this way to say hi to your uncle Goku?" He reached for her, but stopped when he saw her shy away from him, hiding against Tora's side. He looked at the older Saiyan sadly, "Still doesn't remember anyone does she?"

Tora shook his head slowly. "I was hoping if she got to visit everyone that maybe she might remember something," he said softly. He moved to set Marron down, but she clung to him and he stood upright again with a sigh. "Marron, this is Goku. He was your daddy's friend." He looked to Goku again, "We were working on making a fairy garden. We thought maybe everyone would like to help Marron with it."

Sabriena got up and walked over, smiling at Marron. "That sounds like fun! I bet we could find all sorts of things out here that you could use." It amused her greatly that a big, tough Saiyan like Tora would be working on something as dainty as a fairy garden. He really did have a big heart and wanted to help Marron recover her memories. "How about I grab a basket for you to put your stuff in and we can all go for a walk. Does that sound okay?"

Marron looked up at the small woman a moment. She looked a lot like her mom except for her hair and eyes. She nodded, "Yeah! That'd be great!" She reached out and grasped at Sabriena's hand.

Goku chuckled, "I think there's some fresh moss you guys can have from the river. At the bottom there should be some smooth stones that could be good. I don't know what a fairy garden is, but like, little people live in there, don't they?"

Marron nodded her head, "Yeah! We would have fairies, but their homes aren't ready yet."

"Well you better get their homes ready before winter comes," Sabriena said. "Otherwise they're going to be cold!"

Tien watched as Sabriena led Marron down to the river and smiled to himself as he turned back to the garden. She never ceased to amaze him. Now she was even getting along with kids that weren't her own. "You go on," he said to Goku. "I'm gonna finish up here. I know Marron won't remember me. I don't want to overwhelm her."

Tora followed them down to the river, walking slowly beside Goku, never taking his eyes off the little girl. "I don't know what I'm doing, really," he admitted. "I'm just trying to think of anything I can to help her get her memory back. I really don't want her to forget her father. I thought maybe if everyone helped her with her project, maybe seeing the pieces in her little garden would make her think of everyone more. Might make something click in her brain. I just wish I could think of something to put in it to help her think of Krillin."

Goku smiled at his friend. "I think you're off to a good start. I know Eighteen was devastated, heck, with everything that's been going on, I know we all were. Are. This is a great idea." He chuckled warmly, "Krillin would be proud. I know he's up there cheering you on right now." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "I'm glad to see you trying to honor his memory for her as well. I know it can't be easy," he said as he watched Sabriena point to moss on the ground and Marron dutifully scooped it up and plopped it into the basket, "You may go to the Lookout next, Marron played a lot with Paige and Alice. Maybe they can help jog her memory. Maybe a toy they all played with or a book they were read. Plus, Jenny would enjoy the company. Vegeta told me she's starting to do better, he figured out a way so she could eat again."

Tora nodded. He hadn't seen much of Jenny lately, he'd been so focused on helping Marron. "Good idea, Kakarot," he said. "I was sort of hoping you'd have your boy out here today. But I guess we can go by Gohan's, too. Hell, we'll just go everywhere. Make a day of it," he chuckled.

"Look, Marron," Sabriena said, picking up an empty snail shell on the edge of the river. "That's pretty! You could put that in your garden." She paused, wondering if asking questions would upset Marron or make her frustrated, but she decided to chance it. "I bet you used to find a bunch of those when you lived at Kame house, didn't you? The house on that little island in the ocean? There had to be tons of seashells there."

Marron looked up at Sabriena, her little face frowning in confusion. "Silly, I've never lived near the ocean," she giggled, "Momma and I live in that house in the biiiiiiiig city! I wish we could live near the ocean, I like to go swimming. I pretend to swim in the bath!" she exclaimed and made swimming movements with her little arms and puffed out her cheeks as she imitated holding her breath.

Goku frowned and shook his head. "Maybe you should take her all over. Maybe visit the Kame house." He laughed, "But you better wait and take Eighteen with you. She can handle Master Roshi's attitude." He looked back at Marron and said a silent prayer in his head to Krillin, if he could do anything to aid his daughter's memory.

"Yeah, I'll have to wait and take her with me. I've never been out there before," Tora answered. He spotted a couple acorn caps laying beneath one of the trees and he picked them up and added them to Marron's basket. He grabbed up a bunch of twigs, remembering the little pieces of furniture he'd seen online when he first discovered this idea. "This is going to be the worst-looking fairy garden ever if I'm left to do this on my own," he laughed, "My hands are too big for this tedious stuff."

Marron giggled at Tora's tone of voice. "Your hands are good! Build strong fairy walls! Houses too!" she said as she placed a few pretty leaves in the basket and brushed her hands together nodding at their haul.

Goku chuckled at her. "Better save some room for all the other things you are going to collect today!" he said happily. He wasn't sure what would happen if he were in their shoes, if Goten suddenly forgot who he was. His heart wrenched uncomfortably at the thought. He would surely die if that happened. "You're doing great, Tora. I know Eighteen really appreciates the help you've been. Even if she doesn't admit it all the time."

Tora gave a little snort. "Yeah, she's…" he paused and shook his head. He didn't know what to say to that. He cared much more about her than he wanted to admit aloud. "She's hard to get close to. It's like she's got this wall up and she doesn't want to let anyone in. But she's a good mother, I'll give her that. Everything is about Marron. She's a good woman. She's just been through a lot, it seems." He was so confused about their relationship. When it was just the two of them, she was warm, inviting, affectionate even at some times. Their sex life was incredible. But during the day, especially when anyone else was around, she treated him as nothing more than a friend. And actually sleeping together was a big no-no. Something about that had freaked her out, as if it was a level of intimacy she wasn't prepared to deal with.

Sabriena finally stood up and ruffled Marron's hair. "I think there's other people you gotta go see," she smiled. "Thank you for coming to visit us today. If you need anything else for your garden, you just have Tora bring you straight here. If you want, I'll see if I can twist Tien's arm into making you something really cool for your garden, okay?"

Marron nodded enthusiastically and took the basket back to Tora, offering it up to him. "What's next!?" she asked excitedly before she saw the other man standing next to Tora smiling down at her. She gave a little squeak and hid behind Tora's leg again.

Goku smiled sadly at her but patted Tora on the arm. "Come out again soon. Bring Eighteen next time, I think the fresh air will do her good."

Tora nodded and picked Marron up again. "Marron, can you tell Kakar- I mean, Goku thank you for letting you visit? He's my friend. He was your father's friend, too. You're okay. I know, that hair is kind'a scary, but I promise you're okay," he said with a snicker and shot a playful wink at Goku to show he was kidding.

Goku pouted as Marron giggled at the jab and he crossed his arms, sticking his tongue out, "It's not that scary."

Marron ducked her head against Tora and looked at Goku. "Thank you for letting me visit, Goku," she said obediently before she blushed and ducked her head against Tora's neck.

Tora chuckled and patted Marron on the back. "Good girl," he said and smiled at Goku. "It really is kinda scary," he teased and reached over to roughly mess up Goku's hair. He laughed as Goku pulled back and made a face at him. "Alright, we'd better go. Thank you both. We'll be back sometime soon! I think it'll be good for her to get out of the house more often."

He made sure Marron was secure in his arm before he snapped his fingers and the next moment, they were standing on the Lookout in the bright sunlight. "See? This is the Lookout. You used to come here sometimes to play with Paige. I'm sure she misses you. Let's see if we can't find her." He turned around and scanned the edge, finally spotting Dende as he made his rounds, little Alice following him closely. "There's Dende and Alice. Do you want to say hi to them?"

Marron peered closely at them, her eyes going wide, "Tora, they're green! Why are they green? Are they sick?" She looked again, thinking she should be afraid, but there was something about the exact shade of their skin that reminded her of something. She looked around the white tile and thought she remembered something, twirling around, chasing, laughing. "Dende and Alice," she said slowly as if tasting the names on her tongue, "And Pa…" She stopped and frowned, "Paige?"

Dende turned from his work and smiled at their visitors. "My, isn't this a treat?" He smiled at his little helper. "How about we take a break in our lesson? It looks like we have company for a little while. Go fetch your sister," he said before he walked over to Tora and Marron, "Out and about today?"

Tora barely registered Dende's words as his heart leapt with excitement. His eyes went wide as he stared at Marron. "Paige! You remember Paige?" he asked, his breath catching in his chest. Maybe it was working. Could this crazy idea actually help her? He felt like he could shout for joy. He looked at Dende, unable to hide the excitement on his face. "I thought we'd visit everyone. Marron's making a fairy garden in their backyard. We were just seeing if anyone wanted to help her out." He looked at Marron again, his smile growing as he asked her again, "Do you remember Paige?"

Marron looked around and giggled, pointing as Alice came back out with her sister in tow. "Paige!" she said happily and squirmed until Tora set her down and she took off, laughing and giggling with the girls around the white tiles, picking up on a game they had started a while ago that had ended in disaster.

Dende watched for a moment before he closed his eyes, feeling out the little girl's mind, "You are doing very well to help her mind heal. It is a medicine that I cannot reproduce. Her mind is intact, the memories are there, it will just take time for them all to surface." He smiled and opened his eyes a moment later to look at Tora, "A fairy garden?"

Tora laughed even though his face burned just a little bit. "I was trying to find something fun for her to work on," he said. "That internet is something else, I tell ya. There's some cool stuff on there. And then there's some not-so-cool stuff." He shuddered at the memories of stumbling into the "weird part" of youtube. He shook his head and sighed in relief as he watched Marron. He couldn't believe it. He looked to Dende again, "So how's Jenny doing?"

Dende's eyes flickered over towards the innermost parts of the Lookout. "She has been better, but she is improving every day. I think it will be better for her once her chemotherapy is complete. This disease of hers is strange to me and my healing has had little effect on eradicating it from her body. I can, however, relieve some of the pain she feels after each treatment. Though, I daresay Vegeta found the most effective method of eliminating her nausea and restoring her appetite. I do not think you will want to see if Marron remembers her, she does not look like herself," he said, leading the way to the bedrooms, his staff clicking methodically on the floors.

Tora glanced over his shoulder at Marron as he followed Dende. "You stay in the middle, you hear?" he called loudly before he went inside. Trunks and Catie had told him a little about how Jenny was doing, but he still felt unprepared to see her. The last time he'd really spent any time around her was just shortly after her surgery and she'd looked pretty much the same as she always had at that time. "It's good that you can help her," he said and knocked on the door to Jenny's bedroom before he cracked it open. "Hey kid," he said to her as he saw her lying on the bed.

Jenny started awake, lifting her head a fraction to see who it was. She smiled at Tora and pushed herself to sit up against the headboard, reaching over and clicking on the bedside lamp. "Hey stranger, come on in. Sorry I'm not, uh, dressed for visitors," she said, gesturing at her pajama pants and tank top. She snickered a little and ran her hand over her head, "At least I don't have to worry about my hair being a mess."

Tora started at the sight of her, but quickly recovered himself and strode over to sit on her bed. "Nah, the whole don't-give-a-shit, pajama bum look suits you. It's sexy," he teased with a wink. He patted her leg through the thick blankets and looked her over with a concerned eye. "You doin' okay, sweetheart? You need anything? I dunno what I can do, but I'll help ya anyway I can."

Jenny smiled at him, "Want a couple of munchkins? I'll give them to you at a good price. Sounds like they are going at it out there. It's good. I think they've been too quiet. I think my condition really bothers my girls." She considered him a moment before she shook her head, "I'll let you know if I think of anything. My next chemo session is next week, Monday. You should swing past Capsule Corp and watch Dad and me get wasted." She chuckled, "And then feast on cheese fries. Although, Leelee and Seventeen turned me on to the wonders of Taco Bell while I'm high. That stuff is good."

Tora chuckled. "As long as you can eat something, that's good. I can't imagine not having an appetite. That must be miserable." He snickered as he thought about the prince being high. "Ah, I bet that's a sight to see, watching prince Vegeta get stoned. I might just have to take you up on that. Speaking of your girls, you'll never believe this. Marron remembers Paige!" he said excitedly. "I haven't been able to get her to remember anything, but the minute she saw Dende and Alice, she remembered Paige."

She smiled at him, "Hey! That's good news. I would be worried if she didn't remember Paige. She's a hard gal to forget. She makes quite the first impression, doesn't she?" She leaned back, tucking her hands under the covers. She was still cold most of the time, "How's Eighteen holding up? I know she was really struggling the last time I saw her."

Tora rubbed the back of his neck. "Eh, you know. Eighteen is Eighteen. She's hard to read. I think she feels a lot better now that Marron is home. And, you know, she's stopped hating me for the most part, so that's always a plus," he chuckled. "And your mate? How's he handling everything?"

Jenny chuckled, "The way he handles everything, meditation. He is doing better though, now that I've started eating again. A lot better since I shaved my head, I think it's easier on him when he doesn't accidentally pull my hair out any more with hardly any effort at all." She sighed and leaned back, "Seems no one can catch a break, can they?" She smiled, "Dende says we are about to enter an era of peace. We will see, won't we? Something about since they've been whole, the world can sense the power. Can feed from that good vibe or something like that. I don't know. I think I'll understand it better when I feel like moving again."

"Yeah, I don't understand them or what they do, but I hope he's right," Tora said. He frowned at the mention of her hair, how it fell out so easily. Like Vegeta and Piccolo, he didn't understand this strange human disease. It amazed him how a planet with such impressive technology couldn't seem to find a way to cure its own people. He sat back, too, chuckling, "Peace? I wonder what that's like."

She grinned, "I know. You'd be out of a job with peace." She waved her hand in the air. "At least there will be martial arts tournaments in abundance." Jenny winked at him, "The great Hercule Satan has been making a lot of public appearances as of late. Going out in public more, randomly showing up to events. I think he visited some children's hospitals to surprise some of the patient's there." At Tora's questioning look she just pointed at the TV in her room. "It's about the only thing I can do, now-a-days." She paused and lifted a hand to her chest, wincing a moment before she relaxed and sighed. "Stupid pains," she muttered.

"You could find something better to watch than that buffoon," he said with a snort. He'd seen Mr. Satan on the television before and heard Vegeta grumble about how that braggart took all the credit for their work. He didn't much care for the man. "Ah, I guess if he's helping kids, he might not be all bad. He just seems like he's full of a lot of hot air to me. Prince Vegeta doesn't care for him much, either." He frowned at the way she rubbed at her chest. He hated seeing any of their friends in pain like that.

He chewed the corner of his mouth and thumped his tail against the side of her bed as he debated for a minute. "Did you want to see Marron? I'll warn you, I know she's not going to recognize you. You look so much different than you did before."

"As if anyone in the group wanted the credit for what they did," she said before she shook her head at his question, "Nah, it would be nice to see her, but I don't want to scare the poor thing. Might do more harm than good. I know I look a mess, she probably wouldn't know what to say about me, my hair or lack thereof."

"Well, it's your call, kiddo," he said. "I'd better get back outside and keep an eye on her. I think we're still going to go visit some of the others before I take her home. Gotta fill the basket for her garden," he grinned holding up the basket he'd set on the floor. "Kakarot's mate helped her find some good stuff. When you're feeling better, you'll have to bring your daughters over to see it. I bet they would have fun with it, too."

Jenny smiled at that and nodded, "Get Dende to take you past the nursery, there may be a few items you can take from there that might jog her memory. Maybe the book Goodnight Moon and the little cornhusk doll in the pink dress. She liked those when she would come over to visit. My girls don't have any use for them, so they might as well go for a better cause. Don't let Paige see you take them otherwise she will demand them back."

Tora laughed and got to his feet. "Alright, then. Making me steal from your girls," he snickered and shook his head. He placed his hand on her shoulder and his expression sobered. "You take care of yourself and if you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to call. Maybe I can talk Eighteen into letting your girls stay over for a night here soon and give you a break."

She smiled up at him, "Brave man. I appreciate it. You take care too, I'll see you around. Hopefully."

* * *

><p>Tora could hardly wait to get back to Eighteen's house after they finished making their rounds. Marron's basket was brimming with things for her little garden. Dende had managed to get some tiny plants from Mr. Popo that would work perfectly for their project. Bulma had tiny silk flowers left over from an arrangement in the house, Catie offered seashells and tiny rocks she hadn't used in her aquarium, and at Gohan's house, Lindsey had given them a bunch of craft supplies, muttering that her glitter privileges had been revoked due to an unfortunate mishap involving a hair dryer.<p>

"HA! Four-fifty-eight!" Tora exclaimed as he and Marron reappeared in Eighteen's kitchen. "And with two minutes to spare!" He grinned cockily at Eighteen as he sat Marron down. "Go on, show your momma what you found today." He beamed at Eighteen as he stood up straight again. He couldn't contain himself, he was far too excited. "She remembered Paige," he said breathlessly. "I took her to the Lookout and as soon as she saw Dende and Alice, she remembered Paige all on her own."

Eighteen's eyebrows shot up and she smiled down at her baby girl as she toddled over, proudly displaying her basket full of goodies. "You did? Oh Marron, I'm so proud of you!" She took the basket from her daughter and lifted her up, holding her to her hip. "And look at all of this, is Tora going to help you sort this out later?"

Marron nodded, smiling widely, "Yeah! We went all over! Saw some funny people, but they were nice so it was okay, Momma." She kissed her mom's cheek and looked into the basket. "Can we go put this in the garden now?"

Eighteen smiled and set her daughter down. "How about you go get washed up so we can eat first, then I'm sure we can all go out and see where we can start with your little garden. Sound good?" She smiled faintly as her daughter nodded enthusiastically and ran off towards the bathroom. She stood up and set the basket by the door, sparing the Saiyan a look, "Thank you. I'm glad it helped her on some level."

Tora shrugged. "No need to thank me. I just want to help," he said, rubbing at the back of his neck. He didn't know what she had fixed for dinner, but it smelled amazing and it made his stomach growl. "Heh! Saiyan appetites," he chuckled before he dropped his hand. "I can go grab some fast food or something. I'm not gonna eat all your food." He knew he had joked earlier about staying for dinner, but he really didn't expect her to cook for him. "I can be back in a little bit if you want me to, you know, help with that garden."

Eighteen narrowed her eyes at him and put her hands on her hips. "I don't think so mister. Make me slave away over a hot stove and now you aren't going to eat what I made you? Go wash your hands and then come help set the table," she said firmly, daring him to say otherwise. "Saiyans," she muttered before turning back to the stove.

Tora's eyes went wide and he held up his hands innocently as he backed away from her. "Okay! Okay!" he laughed. He turned and walked down the little hallway to the bathroom, loudly muttering over his shoulder, "Women." He snickered to himself as he washed his hands and returned to the kitchen to help her set the table. He didn't understand why his heart hammered in his chest the way it did, yet at the same time it felt so natural and comfortable to be there with her like that. He'd liked her for a long time, but this was different and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was almost like having a family of his own. He shook his head at that as Marron happily climbed into her chair at the table and Tora sat down. "So what're we havin', doll?"

Eighteen gave him a look and shook her head, but couldn't stop the small smile that appeared on her face. "Chicken alfredo with garlic bread and there is plenty so you can eat as much as you want. Bottomless pit," she teased him as she went about setting the table.

Tora helped Marron fill her plate before he helped himself. He was more than impressed. A moan of appreciation escaped his throat as he took the first bite. "Who knew you were such a good cook?" he teased Eighteen and shot her a wink. He paused to lick his lips, looking her up and down. "I hope you have something planned for dessert."

Eighteen felt a shiver of desire sweep through her at his words as she gave him a look. She was really getting too close, that smile he had, the way he was able to take care of her daughter. "Chocolate pudding pie," she said giving him a wink. "And maybe a little something extra if you manage to behave yourself before I send you home."

Tora cleared his throat at the promise of "something extra" even though his heart sank a little when she mentioned sending him home afterwards. Maybe he could talk her into letting him stay over. Oh well. He could deal with that later. He sat up straighter in his chair, squaring his posture. "Yes, ma'am," he answered teasingly and began to take exaggeratedly proper bites of his dinner, although he really wanted to tear into it. He snickered at her expression. "I didn't think shoveling food in my mouth with my hands and then licking the plate clean would count as behaving myself," he laughed.

Eighteen rolled her eyes and waved him on. "Go on and eat up, just know I'm going to let you have it if Marron starts imitating you." She said, sticking her tongue out at him, "And thanks. I tried to not poison people once I started learning how to cook. Usually takes a few hours though." She could see the disappointment in his eyes and she knew that sooner or later he was going to start questioning her and why it was she didn't let him spend the night.

He gave her a sincere look. "I appreciate it, Eighteen," he said. "You didn't have to do that." Something in his heart warmed at the thought of her going out of her way to fix dinner for them all when she could easily have just ordered take out or something like that instead. He reached over and took her hand in his. "This is really good. Thank you, baby." He frowned when she gently pulled her hand away. Goddammit, she was making this difficult. Maybe he was coming on too strong again. He shook his head and tucked into his dinner once more. They were going to have to have a conversation about this at some point, whether she liked it or not.


	28. Worth the Risk

Tora leaned against the doorframe of the kitchen, watching Eighteen as she rinsed the dishes and set them in the dishwasher. "Marron's all tucked in bed," he said as he walked over to her and slid his arms around her waist. He kissed softly at the side of her neck, a purr rumbling in his chest. "And that chocolate pie was delicious. So, have I behaved myself enough to get that little something extra?" he asked, wagging his eyebrows at her as he pressed himself against her.

Eighteen sighed and leaned back against him. "I suppose you have," she answered back, leaning into him before she caught herself and closed the appliance and started it before she turned around to face him, slipping her arms around his waist. "You've earned a little treat before you go home," she said giving him a smile, leaning in to kiss his lips.

Tora kissed her back, picking her up and setting her on the counter as his tongue slipped into her mouth, running his hands over her. He trailed kisses down the side of her neck, his length hardening at the feel of her in his arms. "Haven't I earned more than that today?" he asked as he gently sucked at her neck. "I was thinking maybe I could sleep over. That would be a real treat."

Eighteen tensed up, thinking it over for a moment. She knew he would have asked that. She wanted him to, but then she didn't. She was afraid of it, what it would mean. What would happen if she got used to it? What if something happened to him just as it was getting familiar to her? What if he decided she wasn't worth his time anymore? She didn't want to be hurt again. Her heart wouldn't be able to take it. "Tora," she started, not knowing how to finish that. "You were wonderful today, you really were, but I don't know. Maybe, next time or something," she said, rubbing at his arms.

He pulled back from her with a sigh. "That's what you said last time," he said, trying very hard to keep the frustration out of his voice. He studied her for a moment, looking into her eyes, trying to figure out what he was doing wrong. He tilted his head slightly, his eyes searching her face. "I don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I try and try with you and you just… You just have this wall up like you don't want to let anyone in. Why do you constantly keep me at arm's length?"

Eighteen looked up at him, pressing her lips together, fighting the wave of guilt that washed over her. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt because of what we are doing, you know?"

Tora shook his head. "No, I don't know. What on earth are you talking about?" He swallowed harshly, trying to find the right words. "Eighteen, no one's going to get hurt. I just don't understand why we can't, you know, be more. I want to be with you. I want to be here for Marron. I don't see why this wouldn't work. We could be happy, if you would just let us."

Eighteen felt tears gathering in her eyes, her face turning red as she tried to stop herself from crying. She wanted more than anything to be happy. To feel whole again and have a proper family. "I just don't want to be hurt, Tora. I don't…" She trailed off, trying to think of the right words to say, "I suppose I don't know what I want." It was a lie.

Tora felt like he'd swallowed a block of ice. "You don't know what you want?" he repeated in a whisper. He pressed his lips tightly together, trying to stop the emotion from showing in his face. He couldn't do it. "I know exactly what I want. I want you. I want a family of my own. You, me, and Marron, we could be that. I'm not trying to take Krillin's place, but dammit, we could be a family without forgetting him." There was an ache in his chest as he spoke. He didn't know if he'd ever been more open or honest before. He'd never had a family really. "I don't know what this is, if it's love or what, but I know I care about you in a way I've never cared about anyone. And I care about Marron, too. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

Eighteen was shocked to hear him say what he wanted without any hesitation in his voice. It made her ache in a way that she couldn't stand. She didn't want to have him get so close to her that if something happened to him she would be broken again like she had been with Krillin. Marron couldn't handle it, she was sure. "What happens when there's an accident? Something happens to you? To me? To Marron? I don't want to lose another person who is close to me. I can't do it again. I can't. Why don't you understand that?" She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Maybe you should just go."

He couldn't breathe. His heart ached to hear her say that. "Nothing is going to happen to any of us. Are you serious right now? You want to send me away?" He tried to swallow the knot in his throat, but he couldn't. He stared hard at her for a moment before he pushed away from the counter, his mind spinning. "You don't want anyone to get hurt? It's too late for that, Eighteen. If you send me away now, it's going to hurt. I've let you in too much already," he said, clapping his hand over his heart. "I've let Marron in too much. And you just want to end it? What am I supposed to do now? Just not come around anymore? I can't just be your friend now. I can't come over here and see Marron and see you, knowing the whole time that I can't have you both. I can't do that!"

Eighteen stopped fighting the tears that spilled down her cheeks and she looked at the floor. "It'll hurt a lot worse the more you stay around. Best to stop it now while we still can. You'll move on, find someone else. I just... I can't go through that pain again. I can't. I'm not sure if Marron can either." She felt sick, deep down she wanted to throw herself onto the ground and beg his forgiveness and just go curl up in bed with him, but she couldn't make herself move. She was frozen on the spot. "I'm sorry."

Tora felt his muscles tense, his whole being going numb. "Like hell you are," he growled. "If you were sorry, you wouldn't do this to us! I would never hurt you or Marron. You can't live your life in fear like this. Okay, so maybe there's that slight possibility that one of us could end up hurt, that some catastrophe could hit and we would lose each other. But there's a bigger chance that that WON'T happen and we could be happy together. Isn't it worth the risk to find out? After all I've done to prove myself to you, to show you how much I care, aren't I worth the risk?!"

"I took that risk once with Krillin and you see where that got me. Have you seen who our friends are? I know catastrophe is going to happen, it's in our nature. It's who we are. Someone is always going to come looking for a fight with Goku, Vegeta or any one of us because we are different. I was fucking built to destroy Goku, someone else out there is plotting the Earth's destruction as we speak. Fasha is still out there with a Saiyan child, teaching him who knows what about us. She's probably going to come after Vegeta, probably going to come after you. That possibility is much higher than slight. You can't deny that." She closed her eyes, "Maybe you are right. Maybe you are worth the risk. I need time to think about this."

"MAYBE I'm worth the risk?" he spat. "Maybe?!" He ran his hands over his face, trying so very hard to keep his temper in check. "You were worth the risk to me. They told me you were hard to get close to. They warned me. And I didn't listen. I took the risk because you matter to me. And fuck Fasha and her bastard child. She shows up around here and I'll deal with her. She's the last thing in this world that I'm worried about." He withdrew his keys from his pocket, preparing to leave. He didn't think he could stay for the rest of this conversation. He was hurting too much in a way he'd never felt before. "You know what? Don't bother. After all this time, you should know if I'm worth the risk or not. I'm not going to hang around anymore waiting on a _maybe_."

He shook his head with an irritated snort and turned on his heel, heading for the door. Part of him secretly hoped that she would stop him, that she would call him back and say she didn't mean it, that he was worth it. But she didn't say anything. He slammed the door behind him and strode over to his bike that was parked on the curb. He had to get out of there. He had to go somewhere and clear his head, try to get rid of the knee-shaking anguish that tore at his heart. He was a fool for letting himself care so much.

* * *

><p>Goku mumbled to himself, wrapped up in Tien's and his own bear cloaks as he chopped the wood. Tien and himself had been taking turns and for the past two days he had been able to bribe his husband into doing it for him. Mostly promising he wouldn't ambush the other man in the bed as long as he got to stay in it. Maybe performing a favor if requested. He sighed and looked at the pile of wood he had already. They had plenty, but they were going through it faster than they had anticipated. He counted in his head, a few more logs should do the trick and he'd be able to go inside for a hot supper. A sudden energy behind him had him pausing mid-swing and he looked over his shoulder at Tora. "Hey! Just a minute while I finish up these logs, You can go on inside! It's freezing out here."<p>

Tora barely felt the cold, even though all he wore was a long-sleeved shirt. He frowned at the wood and the axe in Goku's hands. It wouldn't be much of a challenge, but with the way he felt, maybe hacking something up would make him feel better. "Give me that, Kakarot," he said darkly and took the axe from the younger Saiyan's hands. He swung it high and split the log cleanly in two as a satisfying thwack resounded through the air. He picked up another log and did it again. And again. "How much of this do you need?" he asked without pausing in his work.

Goku blinked, standing there grasping at air as he found himself suddenly lacking the axe in his hands. He looked at Tora, could see the frustration in his posture. "Uh, however much you feel like cutting. I wasn't going to do much more, but if you want to go at it, feel free." He scratched at his head, "What's wrong? You seem a little... destructive."

Tora frowned deeply as he continued to chop the wood. He wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about it. He wasn't really sure why he'd come here at all, except for the fact that he always felt calmer at the cabin. But being there was doing nothing to ease the pain he felt in that moment. "Women," he growled and brought the axe down heavily again. "They're nothing but a pain in the ass, you know that? You go out of your way to be good to them, to show them how much you care, spoil them in the best way you can, and what do they do? Throw it back in your face cause you're not worth it!" He hacked at another log, feeling a sweat breaking out on the back of his neck as he worked. The cold air almost felt good at this point.

Goku blinked at Tora and looked back at the cabin where Sabriena was before he looked back to Tora. He remembered Chichi though and how she was towards him. "I know what you mean. Chichi was like that to me. But Sabriena, she's wonderful. What happened? Did Eighteen do something?" He couldn't help but think of how lucky he was, having Sabriena and Tien. Wonderful mates that completed him. "I thought for sure you and Eighteen were going to end up together. I think it's what Krillin would have wanted."

"I know it's what Krillin wanted," Tora said. "He asked me to." He finally set the axe down and turned to Goku. "I had a dream. Don't ask," he muttered, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "I talked to Eighteen and gave her another chance after that whole, you know, her calling his name while we were having sex. Things have been great for a long time. But she keeps pushing me away, won't let me get too close to her emotionally. We broke it off tonight. I can't keep doing this with her. Hiding. Pretending that we're just friends. I don't understand her."

Goku frowned, tugging the fur cloak tighter around him. "Krillin really asked you to take care of Eighteen?" He bit his lip, not questioning the dream Tora had. He himself knew that dreams could mean much more and be very real. "She keeps pushing you away? I mean, I guess I can understand that. Maybe you should talk to Sabriena. She understands what women think, probably because she is one!" He laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "They have different ways of thinking about things."

Tora snorted. "Won't matter. I'll never understand them anyway," he muttered. "Yeah, Krillin asked me to take care of Eighteen. And Marron, too. And now I can't even go back over there! She's afraid that she's going to end up hurt again. If she lets herself care about me too much or some shit and then I'm gone, she says she can't handle it. She doesn't want to get hurt. Never mind the fact that I'm the one hurt now. I guess that doesn't matter. And what about Marron? What happens when that little girl gets up tomorrow and I'm not there anymore?" He roared in frustration and grabbed up the axe again, slamming it through another log. "I SHOULD NEVER HAVE COME TO THIS PLANET!"

Goku frowned and sighed, "Tora, you can't mean that. We love having you here. You've done amazing things. You saved Marron and everything, helped her recover. No one wants to get hurt in a relationship. Did you try telling her that it's not how long the relationship is so long as it's a good one?" He frowned, "That doesn't sound as good as I thought it would."

A small chuckle escaped Tora, despite how angry and hurt he was. "No. I know what you mean. I just," he paused and sighed. "Kakarot, I don't know what to do now. How do I just turn off these feelings? I care about her and Marron more than I ever thought was possible. This is my fault for letting myself care. I made that promise to watch over them because I felt guilty for Krillin's death. You all can argue with me all you want, but it was my crew that killed him. It was my decision for us to come here. But I couldn't just watch over them and not care, you know? And now she expects me to just walk away."

Goku nodded, "Then don't. Don't give up on her because she has lost her way. I know it's a lot to ask when it seems that the other doesn't even want to try, but if Krillin really asked you and you care about them, don't give up. Do you love her? Them?"

Tora looked down at his boots, his hands on his lips as he chewed his lip and thought over the question. He knew the answer. He'd felt it for a long time, he just hadn't voiced it because he knew that would scare Eighteen off. "Yes," he answered quietly. The simple word brought tears to his eyes. He choked and tried to clear his throat, still not looking up at Goku. "Yes, I love them both." He wiped at his eyes with his thumb and scuffed his boot in the dirt. "Doesn't matter, though. She doesn't love me."

Goku blinked at Tora, "Are you sure? How did she end it? Was she cold and uncaring? Didn't shed a tear? When Chichi ended it with me, I was in tears and she didn't even bat an eye." He sighed and shook his head. "When I left, there was no doubt in my mind that she didn't love me anymore." He looked worriedly at Tora, "Did Eighteen do the same thing?"

"No, she cried," he answered, finally looking up at his friend. "She said she was sorry. That maybe she just needed to think it over. I told her not to bother. I can't stand to just hang around waiting on a maybe. I know how I feel about her and her daughter. If she doesn't feel the same, then I'm not going to let myself be strung along any more. I'm hurting enough as it is," he admitted. He tossed the axe away, turning and looking out over the yard. "I must be a complete idiot. I thought I actually had a shot here. A chance for a family. I guess it's just not in the stars for me."

Goku reached out, resting his hand on the other's shoulder, "It's not over yet. Especially if you have Marron on your side. You won't be able to get out of their heads, Marron will demand to see you again. Just don't give up. Not yet."

Tora wanted to believe Goku. He really did. But something in him just didn't have the energy to hope. He sighed and went to the firewood again. "Go on back inside, Kakarot. It's cold out. I'll finish this for you."

Goku shook his head. "Nah, come inside and have a meal with us. It will make you feel better, give you some clarity. Then we can think of a few things to get Eighteen to reconsider," he said, tugging on the other Saiyan and headed inside.

"I already ate," Tora said lamely bug followed Goku into the house. He sat down at the table and shook his head at the plate Sabriena offered him. "No offense, I know it's good. I just don't feel like eating," he muttered.

Sabriena's brows raised at that. "You never turn down my food," she said and immediately clapped a hand to his forehead. "You're not running a fever. The hell's wrong with you?" she demanded. She'd never known a Saiyan to turn down food, least of all hers.

"Don't be rude," Tien scolded as he dug into his own dinner. He'd overheard most of the conversation between Tora and Goku. Neither of them were exactly quiet when they spoke. "Wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but maybe you should just give her some space. Let her miss you for awhile. It might change her mind."

Tora groaned and let his head thunk on the table. "Can't one of you just whack me over the head and make me forget about her? It'd be easier that way," he muttered. He sat up suddenly as if he'd just remembered something. "Marron remembered Paige today!" he exclaimed. "I took her to the Lookout after we left here to get some more stuff for that fairy garden. And she remembered her."

Goku smiled widely, grinning. "Hey! That's great! See? You can't give up, for Marron's sake. You are good for her and Eighteen you know. What's that saying that they have? Absence makes the heart... um… miss you more? Or something?" He frowned and his brow creased as he tried to think, but the hot plate of food in front of him called his name and he dug into it with gusto.

Tora laughed and shook his head. "Maybe you're right. Let her miss me for awhile." He looked at Goku's plate and his stomach suddenly growled. "You, ah, think maybe there is some for me?" he asked a little sheepishly.

"That's what I thought," Sabriena said haughtily and got up to fix him a plate. "I knew you couldn't turn down my cooking."


	29. Christmas Wishes

"Stop squirming, Tien! You're making all the heat escape!" Goku cried as he pulled the covers over their heads, wrapping himself around the taller man, trying to restrain his arms and legs to keep him from getting up out of the bed. "Besides, if you didn't want to be back in bed, you wouldn't have been digging around in the wardrobe." He didn't like the cold weather at all and being this far up north was the only thing he didn't like about the location of Tien's cabin. What he wouldn't give for summer-like weather all the time. He knew that if he let Tien up, he would probably be sent outside to chop wood or some other cold chore. He pouted and pressed his lips to the back of Tien's neck, "Come on! I can't cuddle if you keep fighting."

"Goku, seriously, we have to get up!" Tien argued, trying to disentangle himself from his mate. He growled in frustration. He may have been bigger than Goku, but he was suddenly painfully reminded that Goku was much stronger than he was. He struggled in his husband's arms, trying to pry Goku's hands from around his waist, but the next second the Saiyan redoubled his efforts and wrapped his legs around Tien's as well. Tien went limp for a moment, his head flopping onto the pillow, before he drew a deep breath and struggled even harder. "Come on, this is ridiculous! Goten will be here soon and we need to get our chores done! The cabin's gonna get REALLY cold if we don't bring in more wood!"

Sabriena snickered to herself from her chair. She sat calmly with one leg crossed over the other, enjoying her morning cup of coffee. "I warned you not to go near that bed. You knew he was going to ambush you," she called out. Goku had done the same thing to her the morning before. Laughter escaped her throat as she watched the big lump under the covers moving around even more as the two men fought for dominance. "Tiennnnn," she drawled, "you're loooooooosing."

"Hush, Sabriena!" Tien scolded from under the blankets. "Ow! Dammit, Goku! When I get out of here, I'm chucking you out face-first in the snow! NAKED!"

Sabriena threw her head back and laughed again as she heard a knock on the door. She set her cup down and opened the door, grinning brightly at Goten and Gohan. "Come in! It's cold out there!" she cried, ushering them into the cabin before she shut the door against the cold December air. She caught Goten's wide-eyed look at the bed and snickered. "Your dads are having a bit of a disagreement," she explained before she turned to Gohan, who looked rather pale. "Oh my god, they're not doing THAT. Your dad is just forcing Tien to cuddle because he's cold."

Gohan felt some color going back into his cheeks as he looked back over at the bed. The lump and protests moved around as if they hadn't even noticed that they had company. He ran a hand through his hair and pushed his glasses back up on his nose. "Well, I can't say I blame my dad for that. I do the same thing with Lindsey around this time, but I have to say it's more consensual." He chuckled, "I think I'll go back and cuddle with her any way, its freezing up here." He gave a wink to Sabriena, "And she's like a little furnace."

The covers wiggled more before Goku's head popped up, looking towards his sons, "Lindsey's a furnace?" There was a gleam in his eyes. If he could go get Lindsey and then if he built a nest in the bed, he could be warm all winter long. His eyes widened as Tien tried to get away again, "Stop it!"

"Daddy's gonna try to steal Lindsey now, isn't he?" Goten asked, blinking up at Gohan.

"Probably," Gohan answered, staring over at his father and shaking his head.

"Dads sure are funny in the cold!" Goten laughed and tugged off his boots before he went to Sabriena, jumping up in her arms. "I filled up more of my cookbook! Can we try a few more recipes today? Pleaaaase?"

Sabriena held Goten tightly, rubbing her nose against his little cold one. "Of course we can! You and I are going to spend the entire day in the kitchen. Christmas is only a couple days away and I haven't baked any Christmas cookies yet! We're gonna cook until we pass out," she giggled.

"Goku, come on, your kids are here," Tien protested in a strained voice. He fought even harder to get away, attempting to roll out of Goku's grasp, but the Saiyan held on tightly and all Tien managed to do was to wrap the blankets more securely around them. "AAARRRGGGHHH!" he roared.

Sabriena laughed again and looked at Gohan as she jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "Struggle Snuggle," she snickered. She shifted Goten in her arms so that he sat more on her hip and let him lay his head on her shoulder. "So I guess we'll see you on Christmas day. Around noon-ish, right?" she asked Gohan. While Bulma always threw a huge Christmas party for everyone a few days before Christmas, the actual holiday was spent with more immediate family. "I'm making plenty of food, so tell Lindsey not to overdo it this year. I know she's tired what with the new babies and all. I can handle it this year."

Another shout from Tien drew their attention and Sabriena smirked. "No one is safe from Goku cuddles when he's cold. Seriously, I think he would pull the whole family in bed with him if he could. Better not get too close to that bed, Gohan, or you'll be next," she teased.

Gohan laughed as Goku finally relented and let go of Tien. "Yeah, I don't doubt it. Hey Dad, try not to ruffle your spouses that much, you won't get any presents from Santa."

Goku pouted. "All I want for Christmas is to be warm." He stuck his tongue out at Tien before he looked to Gohan, "Come on, you need to warm up before you go back out there." He looked at his younger son and Sabriena, "Come on, just a little while longer."

Tien practically leapt across the cabin once he was free of Goku's grasp. "Saiyans," he grumbled under his breath as he grabbed up the new cloak he'd made for himself and slung it over his shoulders. "If anyone needs me, I'll be outside chopping wood. You know, being PRODUCTIVE," he said, shooting Goku a pointed look before he headed outside.

Sabriena laughed and looked at Goten. "What do you think? Your daddy looks cold over there. I suppose we should go keep him warm for a minute," she chuckled and walked over to the bed, tossing Goten onto the soft mattress as he giggled. "I want cuddles, too!" she cried as she flung her arms wide and jumped into the bed with them.

Goku laughed and caught her and drew the covers over their heads, cuddling with them. "Gosh, Goten, you are freezing!" He buried his nose into his son's hair.

Gohan just laughed and waved at the lump, "Bye, Dad. Bye, Sabriena. Have fun, Goten!" He just shook his head and went back outside, wrapping his scarf tighter around his nose and looked at Tien chopping wood. "Seems like you are missing the bed party in there." He paused and shook his head, "As bad as that sounds. Do you need any help with that?"

Tien chuckled and rested the axe on his shoulder as he turned towards Gohan. "Nah, that's okay. Thanks for offering, but I got it. Besides, I have to leave some for your dad to chop later. That's what he gets for ambushing me like that," he joked. "You go on home. It's freezing out here. I won't be long. We'll see you in a couple days."

Back inside, Sabriena had sandwiched Goten between her and Goku under the covers and giggled, "Tien's gonna get onto all of us for being lazy." She wrinkled her nose and snickered. "What do you think, Goten? Should we hide under here with your dad all day or should we make him get up with us and go play in the kitchen?"

Goten's eyes lit up at the mention of cooking and he rolled over to look at his dad. "Yeah! Come on! It's gonna be warm in the kitchen when Sabriena and me start cooking! We can make hot chocolate and all the cookies! And have a really big fire!"

Goku chuckled, winking at Sabriena. "Oh, I don't know. You'd better make me some really hot chocolate. I'm going to be freezing after I come back inside after I chop wood. Maybe I won't freeze as badly if I steal Tien's cloak too." He smiled at the thought of being warm out in the bitter cold. "Ugh, why can't it just stay one temperature all year long?"

Sabriena ruffled Goku's hair. "I know, baby. I know," she said. She rolled onto her back with a groan and kicked the covers off of all of them, trying not to laugh when Goku whined and curled in on himself. "C'mon, Goten," she grinned as she got up. "Let's go make some cookies! We gotta have plenty for Santa!"

Goku watched as Goten scrambled out after her and he shook his head before he finally pushed back the covers and quickly made the bed before he went to the closet and pulled on his cloak. He was going to sit by the fire and soak up all the heat he could until Tien came in and then he would steal the other cloak.

* * *

><p>"OOF!" Tien cried as he was suddenly awoken by the tiny Saiyan who had jumped into the bed with cries of, "It's Christmas! Wake up, wake up!" Tien groaned but smiled as he laid back against the pillows, chuckling to himself as Goten woke Sabriena and then proceeded to climb all over Goku to wake him, too.<p>

Sabriena whined and tried to pull the blanket over her head, but Tien stopped her. "He's your son now," she muttered. "You all deal with him. It's too early to get up." The sun still hadn't risen, but that didn't matter to any child on Christmas morning. "Gotennnnnnnn," she grumbled, "Why are you so mean to Mommy first thing in the morning?" She peeked over her shoulder at him and gave him an affectionate little smile. "You're lucky you're cute."

Goku chuckled and grabbed up the squirming little boy and dragged him under the covers, laughing as the mass of excitement tried to get free. "Merry Christmas, kiddo!" He ruffled his son's hair, remembering back to the Christmas where it hadn't been so great. Chichi hadn't much cared to be woken up before the sun so he'd never had his kid jumping up and down on him like that. He gently flicked Goten's nose, "You should ask your mommy to light the Christmas tree."

Goten's eyes widened and he looked over at the blond and moved to climb on top of her, sitting on her chest, "You can light the Christmas tree? But, I thought we didn't have any power out here. Oh! Did you buy a generator or something?" He made a face, "But those are really loud and smell terrible."

Sabriena laughed at him and shook her head. "No. Get off me and I'll show you a trick," she said, gently pushing him back so she could get out of the bed. She took his hand and led him over by the tree before she concentrated for a second, transforming, her hair throwing the cabin into sharp relief from the bright light that issued from her. She concentrated for a moment again, conjuring up little lights that swirled around the tree before they settled on the branches, glowing like strands of Christmas lights. She placed her hands on her hips as she powered down and grinned down at Goten. "What d'ya think of that?"

Goten sat down in front of the tree, his eyes wide with wonder at the golden light that cascaded around the room and finally landed on the tree. "Oh wow," he breathed, completely in awe of the power she could work and reached out, giggling as he touched one of the little orbs on the tree. "It looks just like the one Gohan has set up in his house, but this is so much better!" He cupped the light and smiled into it. "Warm."

Goku peered up out of bed, moving to sit up and draped his legs over Tien's chest as he looked out into the cold room. "Let's get a fire going, some hot chocolate and then we can see if Santa stopped by to see us."

"You and hot chocolate," Sabriena grumbled, but shot him a wink. "You're gonna turn into hot chocolate if you don't slow down." She disappeared into her kitchen and started banging around to fix coffee and the hot chocolate Goku had requested.

Tien smiled sleepily over at Goku. "Merry Christmas," he rumbled before he pulled Goku down and planted a soft kiss on his husband's lips. He knew he needed to get up, but even he was feeling sluggish this early in the morning. He threw an arm over Goku and sighed, closing his eyes for just a moment, but jumped when he almost fell asleep again. "I gotta get up. Come on before we get attacked again."

Sabriena came back with mugs of hot chocolate for Goku and Goten and coffee for herself and Tien as they all settled themselves in front of the Christmas tree. She smiled at it and the mountain of presents underneath it. She'd hidden the presents away until last night, then brought them out after Goten was asleep. Tien had shaken his head disapprovingly, wondering why on earth she had bought Goten THAT many presents.

She scooted a little closer to Goten. "Well, go on. Open 'em up."

Goku scooted closer to Tien, their legs pressing together as he sipped at his hot mug. It was pure bliss in a cup. He really couldn't ask for anything that Christmas. He had everything he wanted every day of his life now. He couldn't stop the soft smile on his lips as he watched Sabriena help Goten drag out the presents under the tree. She was beautiful to him in a way he couldn't describe, the motherly side of her he had known was in there. Well, okay, so he had one wish, but it couldn't be granted, not in the sense he wanted it, but he was okay with that. She had given him something better. He leaned closer to Tien as Goten started digging into the pile of presents, exclaiming at all of the cooking utensils and objects that were inside. "Where is he going to keep all of those?" He wondered, "And Sabriena, I think you are trying to turn him into a chef." He winked at her to show he was teasing.

She gave him an innocent, doe-eyed look as she batted her eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she answered. She bit her lips together to keep herself from smiling as she watched Goten eagerly open the next present and the next. "He can keep some of it here. And other things he can take home with him to Gohan's. Like that one, for example," she said as Goten opened the next present to reveal his very own pasta machine.

Goten about exploded with joy when he pulled out his own pasta machine. "OH Wow! Look! I finally have one of my own! Hehehe, Lindsey says I can stop trying to fatten her up now because she's had the twins, but now I have to make twice as much for the babies… you know. Once they stop drinking milk." He giggled, "I'll put their portions in the freezer." He looked at the marvelous machine and turned the handle. He remembered the first time Sabriena let him help her make pasta, turning the little crank for her. Tears gathered in his eyes. "This is the best gift ever. I love it! I love all my presents! Someone must want me to keep on cooking" He laughed and looked at it all.

Goku reached out and picked up an odd looking knife. "What in the world is this thing? I've never seen anything like it." He turned the package over, "Oyster knife?" He looked over at Goten, "Are you sure you know how to use one of these things?"

"He might not know how to use everything here yet. But that's the idea! I'll teach him," Sabriena said affectionately as she ran her fingers through Goten's hair. "He's a good boy. He's responsible enough to learn how to use them." She leaned over and pressed a kiss to Goten's forehead. "Do you like your gifts? There's all sorts of cool gadgets we can play with now. We can make sushi or ravioli, dumplings, anything you want!" she said as she pointed at the different items piled in front of him.

Goten couldn't stop the purr that escaped his throat and he jumped into Sabriena's lap, hugging her tightly. "I really love them all! I can't wait to start cooking! Santa must have really liked the cookies we left him last night! He brought so much!" He looked back at the pile, his eyes wide. "Mommy, you are really going to teach me how to use all of this?" he asked excitedly.

"Of course I am!" she grinned. "And hold on just a minute. Not ALL of that was from Santa. Some of it was from me and your dads, too. That fat man doesn't get to take all the credit." She snickered and hid her face in Goten's hair at the look Tien gave her.

"Well, I don't know if this is as fancy as the gifts Santa and your mom got ya, but I have a couple things here for you too, Goten," Tien said, reaching in behind the tree where two packages had gone relatively unnoticed. He handed the smaller one to Goten first. "I'm trusting you with that. Take care of it and be careful."

Goten carefully took the package and unwrapped it with more care than he had with the other ones. His eyes widened as he opened up the box to see a beautiful hunting knife laying in the middle. It had a wicked blade that gleamed in the soft light of Sabriena's magic. "Oh wow." He looked back up at his dad, his heart swelling. "You can count on me. I will be extra careful with this. You... you're going to teach me right? We can go hunting soon?"

"I told ya I would, kiddo. I promised you I'd get you that knife, didn't I?" Tien smiled. "Of course I'll show you how to use it. Always keep it on you. You never know when you might need it. Well, except for school. Your brother might not appreciate that phone call," he chuckled as he handed over the second, much larger package. "You won't get much use outta this one until the Spring, but I wanted to give it to you now. There might be a few things in there we can get into later." A smile pulled at his lips; he was rather proud of this gift.

Goten moved off of Sabriena's lap and set the package on the floor in front of Tien as he opened it up, revealing a large backpacking pack. It was made of the softest leather Goten had ever felt. It was packed full of different items, one he recognized as the first aid symbol. "Wow, Dad. Did you make this for me? What all is in here?" He smiled at the rolled up sleeping bag on bottom. "Oh! Can we go camping with this?"

"Yup," Tien nodded. "That's the idea. Everything you need to survive out in those woods is in that bag. And I'll teach you how to use all of it. Some of those things aren't completely necessary, but I thought you might like to have them anyway. I thought maybe this Spring we could hike up the mountain and go camping. Just me, you, and your dad? Maybe your brother if he wants to go. You think that sounds like something you'd like to do?" he asked.

Goten set the pack down and proceeded to launch himself into Tien's lap, wrapping his arms around his neck and knocked him over. "YES! Please! Let's go camping! I love camping! You can show me all your tricks and hunting things. Wow! It's going to be awesome! When can we go? Can we wait until it's warmer outside?" He kissed his dad's cheek and looked at him happily, a wide smile splitting his face,

"No, we're gonna go right now while it's freezing!" Tien teased and tickled Goten's ribs. He laughed and wrapped his arms around his son, giving him a big hug. "The first warm weather we get this spring, we'll go. I promise." He smirked over at Goku and said to Goten, "Besides, I don't think we could get your dad to go with us if his life depended on it right now."

Goku shook his head in agreement before he stuck his tongue out at the cold. "Nope. If anything, you'll be lucky if I let you all leave the warmth of the bed until I see green grass outside," he said and set his empty cup to the side, leaning on his side so he could set his head in Sabriena's lap, smiling goofily up at her before he reached under the tree and pulled out a simply wrapped, brown paper gift, tied with twine and passed it to Goten. "Last one buddy! I hope you like it. That's from your mom and me too. You know. After she showed me how to sew without sticking my fingers. I faced my greatest fear to make you that." He thought for a moment. "Actually, that's from all of us. Even you, kiddo."

Goten giggled and took it, pulling at the string until it fell away and the package opened up. He smiled widely at the softness he brushed his hands over, feeling the warmth radiating from it. "Oh wow! These are the furs Tien and I gathered! You made them into a fur quilt just like yours!? THANK YOU!" He stood up, letting it uncurl and he marveled at it. "This is amazing! I'm going to put it on my bed right now! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" he cried and tackled his father, making him _ooph_ before he floated up with the blanket in tow, disappearing into his loft.

"I think we made him happy," Tien said softly as he watched Goten fly up to the loft. "I love that he likes these types of gifts instead of a bunch of plastic junk toys. He's the coolest kid ever." He leaned back on his hands and smiled at Goku. "Thanks for letting us be part of your family," he rumbled before he leaned over and kissed him.

Sabriena smiled and scooted closer to Goku's other side. "Yeah, I guess this mom-thing isn't so bad," she sighed, then giggled at the look he gave her. She snuggled against him, a contented smile pulling at her lips. "You guys are the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm really, really happy."

* * *

><p>It was a long day and Tien was glad to return home that evening. They'd spent most of the afternoon at Gohan's house, eating more food than any of them had ever thought possible, opening even more presents, and then Lindsey and Sabriena brought out even more food and desserts to eat. Not to mention they had to practically pry the grandbabies out of Goku's arms when it was time to go home. He was still looking a bit pouty about it as he laid chest-first on the pelts in front of the fire as Sabriena sat next to him and gently scratched her nails over his back.<p>

Goten was sitting by the Christmas tree, intently looking over each of the gifts Sabriena had given him and comparing them to an open cookbook he had on one side before he made notes in the journal Sabriena had given him. Tien smiled as he watched him. But he also noticed as Goten kept shooting glances every now and then over at the big hiking pack Tien had given him, too.

A smile pulled at Tien's lips. "Hey, kiddo. You wanna go through that pack with me? Check out what all is in there?" he asked as he moved to sit cross-legged on the floor. "Bring it over here. We can make sure you like everything I've got packed in it and make changes if you want."

Goten looked up from his books and smiled widely at Tien before he scrambled over to the pack and carried it over to him. After only a second's hesitation, he moved to sit in Tien's lap and pulled the bag in front of them. "I really, really like it, Dad," he said as he ran his hand over the pockets, loving the feel of the leather. The smell of it like pine and some kind of oil. He opened up one of the first big pockets on it and peered inside. "Wow! How much stuff did you manage to get in here?" he asked as he pulled out a container that held a plastic bag, seeming to funnel down into the container, passing through a fine mesh filter, "You said everything I need to survive in the woods is in here. What's this?"

"That's to collect rain water," Tien answered. "Water is one of the most important parts of survival. And this," he said, pulling out another item, "is a filter. So if you find water but you're not sure it's safe to drink, all you have to do is fill this pouch and screw the filter on and you can drink it." He pulled out more items from the pack, explaining each as he went. It amused him how impressed Goten was with everything, like the little steel cable that was actually a pocket saw or the paracord that could be used for everything from creating snares to catch game to rope for building a shelter. "Now, see, not all of it's necessary, but some of these make things a little easier. Like a compass. You don't NEED that to figure out which way you're going and I'll show you how to figure out your directions without one, but it saves time if you're in a hurry. The pack is a little big for you and heavier than most people can carry, but I think you can handle it, can't ya?"

Goten grinned. "Yeah, I can handle it!" he said, amazed by all of the items in the pack, "I really can't wait to go and try all this stuff out." He reached for the compass and looked at it, laughing at the needle. "I thought we were so far north, it would just spin around in circles." He tilted his head back to look up at his dad with a smile on his face.

Tien chuckled. "Not quite," he answered as he pulled more items out to show Goten.

"Look at those two," Sabriena said quietly to Goku as she continued to lightly draw her nails over his back. "Goten's gonna be running around in the woods cooking gourmet meals in no time. Mark my words." She couldn't stop the smile on her face as she watched her husband and their son as they dug through the pack, both of them looking as though they were thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Goku tried to stop purring as he lifted his head and looked over at his husband and son going through the items. He laid his head back down on his arms, a smile on his face. "Tien worked forever on that, I'm glad Goten likes it," he said before he sighed contentedly, "You really think he's going to go into cooking? I mean, I think that's great. You and him could give any world class chefs a run for their money." He reached out and took her hand that wasn't scratching his back and ran his thumb over her knuckles. "I suppose I'll just have to teach the twins to be world class fighters." He chuckled, "A twin duo."

Sabriena laughed softly. "And they'll be the best little fighters ever," she said before she looked over at Goten and Tien again. "I don't know what he's going to be. He's interested in cooking right now, so that's why I got him all of that stuff. If he changes his mind when he's older or loses interest, I'm okay with that. I want him to choose his path in life. I don't want to be like Chichi and plan his life for him or force him to do something he doesn't want to do." She looked at Goku again, "I don't want to be like her. I want to encourage him to explore and figure it out for himself. And I'll support anything he wants to do."

Goku rolled over and tugged her to lay down with him and he kissed her cheek as he tucked her against his side. He looked into the fire and draped one arm over her. "You are amazing, and right. I shouldn't worry about what he's going to grow up to be. As long as he's happy, that's all I want." He looked down at her, smiling into her honeyed eyes. "You are leagues above her, you know?" He leaned down and nuzzled the mark on her neck, sighing happily as he laid his head down on his ar., "It's my Christmas wish that you and Tien are as much Goten's parents as I am. He finally has a mother who will listen to what he wants and lets him cook even though he's been told the kitchen is no place for him. Thank you."

"Thank you for letting us," she said softly and kissed him before she snuggled into his shoulder. She yawned and let her eyes close for a moment. "I'm getting sleepy," she murmured. "You're too comfortable to lay on." She listened to Tien as he carried on about the gift he'd given Goten, and Goten's excited, eager questions as they examined everything together.

"I think they're falling asleep on us, Goten," Tien chuckled quietly as he looked over at his husband and wife. He looked down at the little boy in his lap and smiled. "You look tired, too. You ready for bed? I'll tuck you in and I can pack all this stuff back up for you."

Goten tried to stifle the yawn that escaped his mouth, but gave up and nodded. "Thanks for an awesome Christmas," he said, looking back at all his gifts. "I can't wait to try them all out. I really want to go camping now. How long do you think we can go on a trip with this? A week you said?" He yawned again and reluctantly crawled out of Tien's lap.

"Oh, you could go on a much longer trip than that with this stuff, but I think your mom might not be too impressed with us if we leave her here by herself for more than a week," he laughed as he got to his feet and stretched. "C'mon, kiddo," he said and picked Goten up to sling him over his back. He carried him up the ladder to the loft and set him down. "Here, I'll get your pajamas out for you," he offered and went to the dresser to pull out a set.

Poor little Goten was so tired as he pulled off his shirt to change into the pajamas Tien held for him. Tien almost laughed at the sleepy look on his face and the way he wavered on his feet, but the next second, the firelight from downstairs shone on Goten's back and all the amusement just seemed to drain from Tien. Always before, Goten had been facing him if he changed his clothes or he would insist on being left alone to change. Now Tien could see why. Goten's back was covered in long, thin scars that criss-crossed, marring his skin horribly. "Goten," Tien breathed in horror, not knowing what to think. "Has your dad seen those?"

Goten's exhaustion seemed to vanish as a wave of horror washed through him and he turned around quickly, trying to take the shirt from Tien, but stopped when it was pulled from his reach. He felt tears gathering in his eyes as he looked down over the loft at his sleeping dad and mom. He nodded and looked down at his feet, "Once. He looked so sad when he saw them. They upset him. I hate them." He said bitterly, reaching behind his back and wincing as he felt the marred flesh, "I wish they were gone. They are ugly."

"Oh buddy," Tien said sympathetically as he knelt down in front of Goten. "I'm sorry, little man. I didn't know. I didn't see them before." And anger and hatred welled up in him at Chichi all over again. How she had inflicted so much pain on someone as pure-hearted as Goten, he would never know. She was a special kind of evil, that was all there was to it. Tien reached out and gently squeezed Goten's shoulder. "I wish I could take them for you," he said softly. "You are really amazing that you survived that, Goten. I know you're still angry and hurt because of what she did to you. But don't let it ruin you. You're such an amazing kid and we love you."

Goten sniffled and looked up at Tien. "I love you too, Daddy," he said as he flung his arms around Tien's neck, hugging him tightly for a moment before he pulled back. "I still want to keep them covered up. I can feel people staring at them and I don't like it. They'll think something is wrong with me."

"Okay," Tien said and quickly pulled the soft, warm pajama shirt over Goten's head and smoothed it down, covering the scars on his back before he handed the pants to Goten as well. "There's nothing wrong with you, Goten. There's something wrong with her. And it's not your fault. If you don't want people to see them, that's okay. I don't blame you, little man. But just remember, you're better than she is. You're stronger. Good people don't leave scars like that on other people. And don't feel like you're alone. Someone left a nasty scar on me, too. You just have to move past it and what it represents. And know that she can't hurt you ever again."

Goten nodded and wiped at his eyes, looking up at Tien. "Someone left a scar on you?" He blinked and remembered the long scar on his chest. "I barely even see it. I mean, I know I see it, but I don't notice it and think bad things." He didn't want to think about his scars. He became upset when he asked Gohan if they would ever go away. They were going to be part of him forever.

"I don't think about my scar very often, either," Tien said. "And one day, you'll be the same. You won't think about the scars on your back. And then they won't matter anymore. You'll see." He pulled Goten in for a tight hug once more before he stood up, still holding Goten in his arms, and turned to lay the little boy down on the bed. He pulled the covers up over him, then smoothed the new quilt over the bed. "That'll keep you good and warm up here," he smiled and ran his fingers through his son's hair. "Anything you need before I go to bed?"

Goten turned his face into Tien's hand, sighing happily but reached out for another hug. "No, I'm good thank you." He smiled sleepily at Tien, feeling the warmth of the bed pulling him further into sleep, "Thanks for the best Christmas ever, Dad."


	30. Over and Over Again

The days seemed to drag by, slowly turning into weeks, months. Hell, Tora lost all track of time. He barely even noticed as Christmas came and went. Last year, he'd been excited to participate in all the festivities of this strange new holiday. He loved the lights and the warmth he felt from his new friends. The food even seemed to taste better, and there was a happiness in the air that he couldn't quite describe. And he had thoroughly enjoyed the silly Christmas movies Catie had talked him into watching. But this year was different. He didn't bother to go to the party that year, even though Bulma had insisted that he attend. He couldn't bear to see Eighteen and Marron, especially not in that festive holiday atmosphere. Would they be happy and going on with their lives as if he had never existed to them? Or would they be sad and avoid looking at him, their mood clouding the whole party? Either way, it would hurt too much. He spent his time with his books, losing himself in them, learning as much about this world as he possibly could. When he wasn't reading, he was entering martial arts competitions, stacking back as much money as he could. The fights were hardly a challenge, but the pay was good. And it let him blow off some steam without having to face any of his friends.

* * *

><p>Eighteen was hurting, the months that passed by were not easy. Marron seemed to withdraw from her once Tora stopped coming around, refusing to work on her faery garden until Tora would come back. She was stubborn and didn't listen when Eighteen said that the Saiyan wasn't coming back. Marron threw a fit that day, crying and screaming, demanding to see her friend. The poor little thing was heartbroken that he wasn't going to be around anymore. She didn't understand. He'd said he would help her build it and now she wasn't going to see him anymore. The whole situation hurt Eighteen, so much more than she thought she would and she often found herself crying herself to sleep, aching for the two men that had wormed their way into her heart. Tora had been right; it was too late to not get hurt.<p>

* * *

><p>Miserable didn't even begin to describe the way Tora felt. He didn't think there were words for it. The emptiness, the aching cold he felt in his chest. This was even worse than when he'd lost his home, and his best friends Bardock and Gine. He didn't know before that he could feel a pain worse than that, but he'd found it now. He never thought he'd live to see the day where he didn't feel like eating. But there were many of those days, sometimes he had to consciously remind himself that he hadn't eaten and would force himself to swallow down something. But it didn't matter what he ate. None of it tasted good. He tried not to think about them, about Eighteen and Marron. Tried not to worry about if they were safe, if Marron was regaining any of her memories. He hoped she would forget him. He didn't want her to be left wondering why he didn't come around, wondering if it was something she'd done. It wasn't Marron's fault.<p>

* * *

><p>Eighteen looked at the phone every single day, thinking about picking it up and calling Tora to tell him to come around again. It wasn't just herself who was crying at night, Marron cried too, crying out for the Saiyan who never came around anymore. They were both hurting so badly, but instead of the pain fading away like she had thought it would, every day it only seemed to grow with each passing hour. There were times where she would type out a text to him, saying things like, "I miss you." Or "I'm sorry." Sometimes she would spill her heart out and tell him how badly she hurt for him, how she wanted him to come back, but she always deleted them before she could send them, telling herself that she would only end up more hurt in the long run. She didn't know if she believed that lie or not.<p>

* * *

><p>It was like he didn't know what to do with himself. The books weren't enough. He read through all of them, even the fiction ones that didn't interest him as much as the others. The words on the pages became a blur. He was going stir crazy in that tiny apartment and he often found himself daydreaming about a bigger house, but that daydream always ended with him near tears because he couldn't picture it without Eighteen and Marron. He thought about the money he had saved up in his account now, how he'd buy a big house in a subdivision off of the city. A nice house with a big backyard where Marron could have the biggest and best fairy garden she could ever dream of, where he and Eighteen could hold barbecues for their friends and spend lazy summer evenings relaxing under the stars. And then his heart ached all over again because he knew that that would never happen now. He would never have the family he longed for because they were it.<p>

* * *

><p>Eighteen was going crazy. She didn't know how much longer she could do this. The fluffy unicorn that Tora had gotten Marron never left her daughter's arms and she often caught her looking at the picture of Krillin and herself. Without Tora, Marron's progress has seemed to slow. Her memory was still coming back, but not nearly at the rate it had been when Tora was around. It was like Marron didn't even want to try anymore. Eighteen couldn't get the Saiyan out of her mind. Her bed seemed colder than before and nothing could warm her. She piled blankets on the bed, wrapped herself in the warmest pajamas she owned, and still that damn bed was cold. Oh, how she longed to feel him next to her, holding her like he had that night she slept at his apartment. There were times in between wakefulness and sleep that she imagined he was there, his large frame curled around her, that deep purr resounding in her ear. And then she'd snap awake again, only to find her bed cold and empty. She found herself aching for that companionship once again. "Tora," she'd whine into the darkness then and hug her pillow to her chest until she cried herself to sleep again.<p>

* * *

><p>Tora had tried venturing out into the city, looking for some new hobby to occupy his mind. But the very first shop he'd wandered into had a display of fairy figurines set out and he nearly broke down in the store and had gone straight home. It didn't matter what he did, everything seemed to remind him of them. Coffee and blueberry scones. A blonde woman on the street or a family out taking in the sights of the city. A car the same god-awful shade of green as the one that had nearly hit Marron. Even his motorcycle lost its luster because he kept thinking about the day he'd taken Eighteen on a picnic. The day Marron had finally woken from her coma. Every damn thing around him just made him think of them and made him hurt all over again. He took to sequestering himself away in his apartment even more.<p>

* * *

><p>Eighteen tried to spend more time with her brother and Leelee. She thought that maybe being around them would cheer her up, much the way she had done when Leelee was suffering from depression when she'd been scarred so badly. It didn't help. Even on the nights when she sent Marron to stay with Paige at Bulma's, and Eighteen went to Seventeen's for pizza and beer, it didn't help. Seeing how happy her brother was with Leelee only made her feel more alone. It wasn't their fault. They didn't ignore her, but they were so wrapped up in each other that it was hard to sit next to them while they cuddled on the couch. She couldn't be mad at her brother for being in love. It was just that she wanted the same for herself.<p>

* * *

><p>Tora knew his friends were concerned about him. Catie and Trunks came by with movies and he turned them down. Goku popped in a few times, offering to take him to the cabin for a meal or to spar, but Tora didn't feel like eating or fighting. Even Vegeta had come by to check on him, just to make sure he was still alive. He supposed he should've been embarrassed about the state of himself and his apartment, but he just couldn't. He just simply didn't give a damn anymore. Everything around him seemed gray, dull, without Eighteen and Marron. He hadn't shaved, his hair was a mess, his apartment strewn with books and laundry. He didn't give a fuck. The harder he tried to push them from his mind, the more they seemed to swim in his memory. He couldn't figure out where he'd gone wrong. He spent hours just lying on the couch or pacing the floor, analyzing in agonizing detail every single moment spent with her. Had he gone over the top with the spa day and the dress? Or had he not done enough to show how he felt? Or perhaps she felt he was pushing Krillin too far out of Marron's memory. Did she feel that he was trying to take her late husband's place? But he'd promised he wasn't and it was the truth. Maybe it was the constant teasing he'd done. But none of it seemed to warrant this. He couldn't pinpoint the part where he'd screwed up. And it drove him crazy.<p>

* * *

><p>Eighteen had been grateful for the cold weather. It gave her an excuse to stay inside for most of the winter. But as the days gave way to warmer weather once again, she found herself wanting to just stay inside more and more. The trees grew leaves again, but her mind drifted back to that day at the lake where they had been the most beautiful shades of gold and red. She'd wanted to take Marron there, to let her experience the drive she'd taken with Tora, but now that was out of the question. It made her sick to her stomach to think about it now. She didn't know if she'd ever be able to look at the leaves without thinking of him. How had he worked his way into her heart like this? She hadn't wanted him to. She tried to go back to the way she'd originally felt about him. She'd hated him at one point, blamed him for Krillin's death. But now she couldn't do it. She couldn't make herself believe that lie anymore. He wasn't responsible for what had happened. Yet he had done everything in his power to make up for it. He was a good man, she knew that. And now she'd lost him, too.<p>

* * *

><p>"Make me stop loving her. Make me stop loving her," he whispered in the darkness, grabbing at his hair, trying to will his heart to stop hurting. The pain was becoming unbearable. It didn't matter how many months had past. She invaded his every thought, haunting his dreams, setting his blood on fire by the mere memory of her touch. There was a rawness to his soul, a throbbing burn that just wouldn't stop. Was this the way love was supposed to feel? Oh what a cruel trick of fate if it was. Love was supposed to be easy, wasn't it? To just fall into this sort of happy state with the person of your choosing with no thought of the future because all the future held after that was happily ever after, right? Stupid fairytales. That wasn't how it really worked. Love was harsh; it swallowed you up and drowned you in misery, blinding you to everything around you and somehow you enjoyed the ride until it came to a screeching halt and left you dazed, confused, and broken at the end. Love was bullshit.<p>

* * *

><p>Eighteen rolled over in her bed, starting only slightly when she heard her cell phone buzzing. Her heart leapt and she sat up faster than she would later admit and grabbed for it. Perhaps Tora was calling. She hoped he was calling. She longed to hear his voice. Her heart sank when she saw Bulma's number on her screen and she swiped her fingers across the glass and raised it to her ear, listening to the frantic voice on the other end. "Wait... what's happened to her?" She felt the blood drain out of her face, "We'll be right there."<p>

* * *

><p>Tora fell over as he frantically tried to pull on his jeans. No. No, this couldn't be happening. He was panicked. He knew he looked like shit, but he didn't care. He had to get to the hospital as fast as he possibly could. He would not shut himself away this time. This was too important. He knew that. He finally managed to dress himself and roughly yanked a comb through his hair enough so that he could tie it back in a ponytail at the base of his skull. He snapped his fingers and disappeared in a puff of blue smoke and reappeared in the hospital waiting room that was already full of their friends.<p> 


	31. Cherish Every Moment

It had not been a good day. The chemotherapy had left Jenny weak and feeling sick. Instead of being immediately released, she had to stay a little bit extra while the doctors ran a few more tests to see how the cancer was regressing. She felt horrible by the time Piccolo finally got her home, so much so she didn't even want to smoke so she could eat. Her body was aching, her arms, her jaw, her chest. Her nausea seemed to be intensified as well. She curled up on her side on the bed, closing her eyes tightly.

Piccolo stood in the doorway, frowning as he looked at his wife. She looked like she was in so much pain, more than normal. He watched as she curled in on herself, her breathing becoming labored. Startled, he went to her side. He'd never seen her react to chemo like this. "Jenny?" he asked, gently setting his hand on her shoulder. "What is it? What's wrong?" He could see the sweat breaking out over her face, the pain in her eyes.

Jenny winced and cracked her eyes open to look at Piccolo. "I don't know. Everything's hurting. I tried to sleep, but it's too hard. My chest hurts, feels like I smoked way too much but I haven't had any today."

He frowned, trying to figure out why she was hurting so bad. "Do you want to go back to the hospital?" he asked. He really didn't want to spend any more time there than he had to, but if she needed it, he would take her there without hesitation.

Jenny was about to respond, but she fell silent, her eyes going unfocused. Her breathing sounded unnatural, gasping to nearly there.

"Shit!" Piccolo cried and scooped her into his arms. "DENDE!" he bellowed as he ran outside with his wife. "No, no, no," he gasped as he looked down at her. He didn't know if he should take the time to let Dende figure out what was happening or if he should just fly to the hospital as fast as possible. "Tell me what to do," he barked at his brother.

Dende turned, running over to him, looking down at Jenny. "Oh no." He laid his hand over Jenny, his hand glowing as he tried to figure out the problem. "She's having a heart attack! We have to get her to the hospital! Is she breathing?" He looked her over and listened to her, nodding, "She is, go! As fast as you can! Rose and I will be right behind you with the girls. GO!"

Piccolo didn't hesitate, a fear for his wife curling around his own heart. "You call everyone else and tell them what's happening!" he ordered as he took to the sky. He remembered being warned about this when Jenny had first started her chemo, but he'd prayed that she'd be spared that one thing. That somehow, after all she'd been through, that she wouldn't suffer more. It seemed his prayers had fallen on deaf ears.

He flew as fast as he could, faster than he ever had in his life, cradling her to him. "Stay with me," he begged her, even though she was unconscious. He could feel her struggling for breath. "You can't leave me, Jenny. You can't." He was shaking by the time he landed in front of the hospital and he kicked the door open, rushing inside. "Help!" he barked at the nurses standing near the desk. "She's having a heart attack! Do something!"

He watched as they flew into action and he carefully laid her on the gurney that they wheeled out to him. He felt like he couldn't breathe as they rushed her down the hallway and the space around him fell silent and he suddenly found himself completely alone. He dropped to his knees, his face screwing up against the fearful tears that burned his eyes. "Don't take her," he whispered. "Dear gods, please, don't take her from me."

Dende and Rose arrived soon after, the Guardian taking Rose's cell phone and making the calls out to their friends and family. Alice looked almost pale and it worried him. Even Paige was rather quiet. He called Bulma first, knowing that they would want to be there first. "Bulma, you need to get Vegeta and the kids and come to the hospital. Jenny's had a heart attack. We don't," he paused and swallowed, "We don't know if she's going to make it."

* * *

><p>Bulma felt the blood draining out of her face. "Be right there!" She hung up, running out of her workshop to the gravity room. She could hear her husband, Trunks, and Catie training inside. She reached for the panel, punching in the emergency override code. She winced as she heard the gravity switch off suddenly, followed by three loud thunks as they hit the ceiling. She threw open the door, spotting them rubbing their heads as they landed back on the floor.<p>

"Dammit, woman!" Vegeta snarled at her, wincing at the pain in his skull. He cracked open an eye to look at her. "What in the hell is so damn important?!" He froze when he saw the look on her face, how pale and frightened she appeared. He got to his feet, his heart starting to beat faster. "Bulma, what is it? What's happened?" he asked, his tone softer.

"We have to get to the hospital. Dende just called. Jenny's suffered a heart attack." She bit her lip, "He says that this… She might not survive this. We have to go now!" she insisted, looking at Trunks and Catie as well; their shocked looked pained her.

It was strange to him how calm he felt in that moment as Vegeta took in her words. "Catherine, you and I will take your mother to the hospital. Trunks, you go get Kakarot and his mates and meet us there. Move!" he barked. He rushed to Bulma and hauled her into his arms with Catie hot on his heels as they ran for the door, Trunks taking off towards the North. They made it to the hospital in record time, seeing as it was only a short distance away.

"Piccolo!" Catie cried when they entered the building, seeing him still sitting on his knees in the middle of the waiting room. "What's going on? Where's Jenny?"

He looked up at them, feeling a little better that they were there with him. "They said something about surgery," he answered dully. "Putting in a stent or something to help her heart. They don't know if it's going to work or not, but they're trying." He felt numb inside. This had to be some sort of a bad dream. This could not be real.

Vegeta carefully set Bulma down, his blood turning cold in his veins. This couldn't be happening. After everything she'd been through, this wasn't fair. She'd come so far. The first surgery, all the treatments, everything she'd endured. Would the insanity never stop? He was getting tired of it all. Just for once, couldn't things be in their favor? Just once?! He growled in fury, a wave of gold flashing over his hair. If he lost his daughter now, he thought he might lose it.

Bulma reached out and placed her hand on his arm. "Dear, blowing up the hospital isn't going to help Jenny now." She pressed her lips tightly together, glancing over at Dende as he was on the phone with Gohan. "I'm going to give Tora and Eighteen a call, they need to know as well," she said as she went over to the side and dialed them up.

Dende hung up the phone and sighed, rubbing at his head before he looked over at Rose, "I cannot stand these hospitals. There is so much agony here. So much death."

"I know, my love," she whispered to him, taking his hand and stepping closer to him. "Try to block it out. I know it hurts, but we have to be strong for our family. Your brother needs us right now." She wrapped her arms around him, trying to provide what comfort for him that she could. She was afraid for Jenny. All along she had been hopeful that Jenny would survive this and now it looked as though she was about to lose her battle.

Leelee and Seventeen were the next to arrive, followed shortly by Gohan and Lindsey with their children. Goku appeared next with Tien, Sabriena, and Trunks in tow. Everyone looked shocked, frightened, as if none of them could believe this was happening. No one spoke as they settled themselves in the chairs there. They didn't know what to say. The silence was deafening.

Seventeen looked up when his sister rushed in with Marron on her hip. He could see the look in her eyes, it was the same look everyone else had. "We don't know anything yet," he whispered to her. "Come sit with me and Leelee." He smiled at his niece and took her from his sister, holding her close. "Hey Squirt," he teased. "You need to come stay with me and Leelee some night soon. We'll order pizza and stay up all night watching Disney movies. That sound like fun?" he offered, trying to ease the tension in the room for her. She'd been through enough herself lately.

Marron looked at Seventeen, an innocent, sad look in her eyes. "Can Tora come over too? I miss him," she said sadly, not looking up at her mother when she asked. Her mom didn't like it when she brought him up, it usually would make them both cry.

"Uh, well, I haven't seen him in a long time," Seventeen said uncomfortably. He sat down in a chair and cradled her to his chest, sighing and looking over at his sister. He held up his hands and shrugged, clearly telling her that he didn't know what to say to Marron. He wished his sister would change her mind about Tora. He was good for her.

Eighteen bit her lip, trying not to think about it. She just shrugged at her brother's look; she knew that dismissing Tora was a mistake. One of the biggest she had made, but it was too late to fix it. Wasn't it? She looked over at Piccolo; he looked devastated, holding his head in his hands while Tien stood by his side. Goku looked serious and quiet, holding Goten tightly as he fixed his eyes on the emergency room doors, hoping a doctor would come out soon.

"I'm here," Tora gasped as he appeared in the emergency room. His eyes were wide and he looked frightened for Jenny. He ran a hand over his scratchy face, looking to Vegeta, who only shook his head and shrugged. Tora gave a weak nod and moved to sit down next to Trunks, muttering, "It really IS always something with you all, isn't it? Not one goddamn moment of peace…" He looked up and his heart stopped at the sight of Eighteen across the room. It was the first time he'd seen her since she broke up with him that night. He swallowed harshly and forced himself to look away from her as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Marron's eyes went wide at the sight of one she still remembered and she squirmed out of Seventeen's grasp and was in front of the Saiyan before her mother could stop her. She reached up for him, climbing up onto his lap and looking at him, "Tora, I miss you. Why don't you come by the house anymore? My faery garden is sad, I need your help."

Tora stared at her for a good long minute, trying to decide what to do. Dear gods, way to put him on the spot. "I think your mother can help you with your garden," he said in a low voice as he tried to hide the emotion in it. He didn't want to tell her that her mother had told him not to come around anymore. He chewed the inside of his lip as he looked at her in his lap, wanting so badly to hug her. He leaned closer to her, speaking softly, "Listen to me, Little One. There are… grown up reasons why I can't come around anymore. I'm sorry. But I want you to know it's not your fault."

Eighteen felt her heart aching as she listened to the way he spoke so gently to her daughter. She had to do something. She had to make this right. Her legs felt like lead as she walked over to them, clearing her throat, trying to speak around the lump that was there. He looked a little worse for wear, much thinner than she remembered him being and obvious stubble showing around his jaw. "Tora," she started, not sure what to say, but she had to try.

Tora looked up at her, his heart hammering painfully in his chest. He felt his stomach flip, his throat tighten. All this time of going without seeing her, trying to erase the memory of her and Marron and now here they both were right in front of him. It was almost too much and he nearly regretted coming to the hospital. He gently moved Marron out of his lap and gave her a tiny push towards her mother. "I'm sorry," he said roughly. "She just came over to me." Why did she have to look at him like that with those cold blue eyes that he loved so much? His jaw clenched and he looked down at the floor, not able to look at her anymore for fear of breaking down in front of her.

Eighteen opened her mouth to say that it was fine, but the sudden commotion occurred as the surgeon came out into the waiting room and called for Jennifer's family.

He looked around at everyone waiting there. "Talk about big families, she's lucky she has so many people looking out for her." He looked down at his notes. "Just to let you guys know, we are still touch and go, but for the most part we have her stabilized. We moved her up to the ICU, so if you want, you can start migrating up there. We got the stent in and opened up the valves, now we are running her on a few different medications to make sure that there are no blood clots and that she doesn't have another heart attack."

Goku frowned and looked at the doctor, "You mean she still has a chance that she might not walk away from this?" His face fell at the doctor's nod and he looked to Piccolo, wishing there was more they could do to ease this pain.

Eighteen felt horrible, even after all of that, she still wasn't in the clear. Though, she did have them, their large family looking out for each other.

Piccolo numbly got to his feet, shaking his head when Tien offered to help him up, and forced his legs to move as they followed the doctor. His mind was spinning with the information he'd just heard. How could she still be fighting for her life after this? Shouldn't the surgery have fixed it? He could feel his hands shaking as they entered the room and he saw his wife laying there. More damn tubes and monitors surrounding her body. She looked deathly pale as she slept. "Jenny," he gasped and went to her side, tears burning his eyes. He could feel how dangerously low her life force was. "Gods, no," he choked out.

Eighteen stopped short outside the window to the room, seeing the reality of the situation. She really could die. Piccolo would be devastated at her loss, though, he had his daughters and a short time full of memories of her. She remembered everything they had been through, the time Jenny thought Piccolo had died. They didn't think about death and rather focused on life. Pain was inevitable, she realized, but a good relationship with someone you loved would lessen that pain. Life was too short to just pass up something good. She turned her head, looking at Tora, holding her daughters hand, or rather, she was holding his. "I am such an idiot," she said softly.

Tora blinked and looked at Eighteen, trying to understand her soft words. He glanced through the window again; most of their friends had stayed outside the room. Only Piccolo, Vegeta, and Bulma had entered. He could see Piccolo's shoulders heaving as he held his wife's hand, Bulma trying to comfort him. He frowned bitterly. He thought that maybe he could understand the pain Piccolo was in, thinking he was losing the person he loved the most in this world. He himself had felt that way for a very long time now. "No," he answered, his voice rough, "You're not an idiot. I am. You were right, Eighteen. Letting someone get too close only ends in pain."

Eighteen shook her head. "Not forever, not when you are surrounded by your friends and family. Not when you have good people around you, willing to go out of their way to make you smile again, take care of your children as if they were their own. Tora, I am an idiot because I hurt you, I hurt Marron, and myself. I just couldn't see past my own selfish wants. I didn't want to hurt again. I loved so fiercely it tore something inside of me and I didn't want to lose you. I didn't want to hurt again like I hurt for Krillin because if you died, I would have to suffer again. It would hurt so much to lose you, Tora."

He turned to her, barely daring to hope that there was a future for them. "Eighteen, I never wanted to hurt you. Trust me, I didn't want to get hurt either. But that's all I've done since the night I left. There wasn't a moment when I didn't think about you and Marron. I never knew I could hurt like this," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He felt the knot in his throat and tried so swallow it, but didn't quite succeed. "I tried to stop caring about you. I tried to stop loving you. But I can't. And I know that if something happened, if I lost you or royally fucked this all up somehow that it would hurt even more. But I can't stop thinking about how happy we COULD be, even if it was just for a little while."

Eighteen nodded, trying to fight the tears in her eyes, wiping at them as she spoke quietly, "I want that. I want it so much. Please, Tora, can you forgive me for what I did to you? I don't want to hurt any more, I'm so sick of it. I can't sleep at night, I can barely function. Marron and I need you. More than I ever thought possible. Please. I don't deserve your forgiveness, but please."

"Darlin'," he rumbled, "I already forgave you a long time ago." He wrapped her up in his arms and kissed her deeply, a triumph swelling in his chest, erasing the pain he'd felt for so long. None of it mattered now. He had her in his arms again. New tears burned at his eyes and he realized they were from how impossibly happy he was in that moment. He didn't care how he looked and he didn't try to stop them as they slipped from his eyes as he kissed her fiercely.

Eighteen felt a relief wash through her as she wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him kiss and kissing back in return. She reluctantly pulled back and rested her forehead against his, looking into his warm, dark brown eyes. "Thank you," she said, reaching up and cupping his cheek. "Come on, let's go sit down. I just want to be near you now." She led him over to a chair, gently pushing him to sit before she sat in his lap, wrapping her arms around him. She relished the comfort, the peace of mind. This was silly. "How can it be this simple to be happy?" she asked. "Happy and sad at the same time," she said as she looked over across the hallway at Jenny's room. Life was hardly fair.

"I don't know," Tora answered softly, not knowing whether he wanted to sob with relief or purr with contentment at the feel of her in his arms again. He secured his arms a little tighter around her as if he was afraid she'd somehow slip away from him again. He nuzzled into her silky blonde hair, inhaling her scent. He kissed softly at her neck, hugging her, just content to hold her like this for as long as she would let him. "I'll never leave you," he swore quietly, speaking softly into her ear. "For as long as you'll have me, I'm yours. I never want to be apart from you again. All I want is to wake up next to you every morning. I just want to make you happy, baby."

Eighteen nodded. "Please. Stay at the house the next time you come over," she said as she leaned against him, running her hand through his hair. She watched as Marron came over, looking up at them before she climbed into the seat next to Tora.

"You are going to come by now right? After Miss Jenny is all better, we can all go home right?" she asked, half pleading as she looked between the Saiyan and her mother. She still couldn't remember people, but she was going to try, she hadn't felt like trying after Tora had suddenly left her life.

A watery smile lit up Tora's face. "Yes," he choked out and pulled Marron to sit in his lap, too. He pressed a firm kiss to Eighteen's jaw before he turned and kissed the top of Marron's head, holding them both close. A million thoughts and plans for their future swirled through his mind, but he couldn't seem to grasp onto any of them. He was too happy in that moment to just sit and hold them. His tail flicked and curled behind him happily as he leaned into Eighteen. "Of course I want to stay. You'll have a hard time getting rid of me now," he murmured in her ear. He was almost scared to hope that this was real. But maybe, just maybe, he finally had the family he'd always wanted.

* * *

><p>Inside Jenny's hospital room, Piccolo clung desperately to her cold hand as tears poured unchecked down his cheeks. His breathing was ragged as he cried, staring fiercely at her, fear clutching at his heart. "Wake up," he begged through clenched teeth. "Jenny, wake up. You can't leave me now. You can't…" He choked on his words and fell into a coughing fit, fighting the urge to get sick. He held her hand in his own, pressing his forehead to their joined hands, his face screwing up.<p>

Vegeta felt his own eyes burn, but he stood still as a statue, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression as stoic as always. In his head, he was pleading with the mother Goddess to spare his daughter. She'd fought so hard for so long, it didn't seem fair for her to lose the battle now. He cursed the disease that had done this to her. His once vibrant, beautiful, happy daughter was a mere shell of her former self, laying helpless in that bed, her every breath a struggle, every beat of her heart weak and possibly her last. He couldn't stand it. Imagining a world without her was unbearable. How Piccolo would recover from that, he didn't know. He didn't think the Namek would, to be honest. And what about her girls? He shuddered to think about what would happen to Paige and Alice without their mother. Something like that could change a person, losing a parent at such a young age. He didn't want to see that happen to his granddaughters. He may have spent much more time with Paige than he did Alice, but they were both important to him. He loved them both just the way they were.

Bulma couldn't stop the tears flowing down her cheeks as she sat next to Piccolo, rubbing his back as she looked at her daughter. She had asked if they could use the dragonballs to revive her, but according to Dende, doing so would just bring back the cancer if she didn't defeat it on her own and she was going to be damned if she made both of them go through this again. She reached out with her free hand, resting on Jenny's leg, "Wake up baby."

Piccolo tried to take comfort from Bulma's presence, but somehow it almost made it worse. Made it all the more real because he wasn't the only one feeling this pain. He looked up at his wife again and pressed his lips to her knuckles. "What do I do?" he whispered. "What am I supposed to do without her?" He'd always prided himself on his strength and his ability to keep his emotions at bay, to think with a clear head no matter what the situation. But this time he just couldn't do it.

Bulma didn't know what to do, she was at a loss and looked back to her husband. She had never seen him so restrained before. She could see it in his eyes that he was fighting tears, his face slightly red and his tail curled tightly around his waist. She opened her mouth to say something to him when a sudden, high pitched beeping began and she whipped her head around to the machines connected to Jenny that had suddenly come to life. Her heart dropped when she saw the monitor.

Jenny had flatlined.


	32. Answered Prayers

Piccolo tried to fight against the nurses that shoved him towards the door. He didn't want to leave his wife's side. "JENNY!" he roared. "No! No, I won't leave her!" This couldn't be the last time he saw her alive. There was so much he needed to say, so much more time he wanted with her. The thought of losing her now was excruciating. He moved to grab a nurse to throw her out of his way, but the next thing he knew, Vegeta had a hold on him and dragged him out into the hallway. He was painfully reminded of how he'd nearly lost her the day Paige was born. It was like reliving that nightmare all over again, but this time it was worse. "Get off me!" he growled and shoved Vegeta away.

The Saiyan prince answered with a feral growl of his own. "You'll only be in their way," he snarled. "They're the only chance she has now. Don't do something foolish and jeopardize her only hope." He loathed to admit it. He had little faith in these doctors and their sorry excuses for treatment. What good was a medicine if the side effects could kill you just as easily as the disease they were supposed to treat?

"What happened?" Sabriena demanded and ran to the window, her hands thunking against the glass as she strained to see what was happening to her friend. "What are they doing? What's going on?!" There were too many doctors and nurses rushing around the room for her to be able to see what was happening. "Oh gods," she sobbed, her voice strained with fear. She'd tried to ignore it, tried to hide the fact that for months now she was terrified for her friend. She wanted to be strong for Jenny. She didn't want to worry her husbands or her son. And she'd done a damn good job of it until now.

Bulma shook her head, rubbing at her eyes, trying her best not to sob out as she spoke, "She flat lined. The doctors are trying to bring her back." She cried. The horror in the group was palpable and crushing. Dende was having a hard time sitting there among them, she could see Rose trying to soothe him the best she could. The children didn't understand what was going on, but Paige and Alice sat still, listening.

Vegeta went to his granddaughters and picked them up, holding them tightly. He didn't know what to say to them. He was afraid for them, afraid to see their reactions if they lost their mother. He squared his shoulders and looked at them, their eyes big as if they expected him to explain this, for him to fix whatever was wrong with mommy. "No crying," he said softly. "We all need to be brave for your mother right now. So no tears. You hear?"

Alice nodded before she laid her head on Vegeta's shoulder, looking over it at the room where the doctors rushed around frantically.

Goku was doing his best to pry Sabriena from the window before he held her to him, looking at Tien with a hurt look on his face as if the other man could sense Sabriena's pain. He realized then that Tien could feel it. Usually, the two of them were good at controlling their bond, the way it affected them, but in moments when their emotions were powerful, they both felt each other. He could see it in the strained expression on Tien's face.

Alice wiggled then, moving so she was set down on the ground a moment later before she went over to Dende. She looked up at her mentor, the tears on his face. She reached for him until he picked her up and she curled up in his lap, peering out with wide eyes over the room of friends and family.

Rose sat next to Dende, gently rubbing his back, trying to will some peace and comfort into him. There was a reason the Lookout was so high above the earth, so removed from its people. Being too close was overwhelming for the guardian. She wiped away his tears and leaned her cheek on his shoulder, dropping her hand to run through Alice's pale pink hair. She could tell that Alice was afraid for her mother, but there was more than that. Alice was being affected by this place just the same as Dende.

Seconds seemed like hours as they waited. A silence fell over the space as if no one dared to breathe. Piccolo moved to stand by the window, staring miserably into the room. "Take me," he murmured, not caring who heard him. "Take me instead. She doesn't deserve this. I want her to be here with our girls. Gods… Fates… whoever is listening… Let me take her place. Be merciful, just this once. Please." He paused and swallowed as he scrubbed at his eyes with the heel of his hand. "Our family needs her more than they need me. She's too important to everyone. Please don't take her. Take my life instead."

Bulma frowned as she heard Piccolo already starting to go through the stages of grief, though to be honest, he had already completed a few steps before this. She wished there was something that could be done to ease his pain. All of their pain. It was unnerving to see the normally composed, stoic Namek to be reduced to tears like that, begging for the life of his mate.

Goku bit his lip as he heard the frantic beeping of the monitors stop and turned to look through the window. The doctors moved to stand away from the bed. A nurse moved to the side of the bed, gingerly taking the bed sheet and drawing it up.

Finally after what seemed to be an eternity, the doctors opened the door and came out. The one that was Jenny's attending stopped by Piccolo and looked around the group, "We had a close call there, but we managed to pull her through. She's not completely out of the woods yet, but I feel confident that she will make a fully recovery." He opened up the chart in his hands, "Some good news as well. These are some of the test results we've been running on her since she came in earlier today." He looked up at the tall Namek, unable to stop the smile on his face. "Your wife is cancer free."

Piccolo's knees buckled and he had to grab onto the wall to steady himself. "What?" he breathed, thinking surely that he had heard the doctor wrong. He glanced over his shoulder at his wife in the bed, who seemed to be resting peacefully once more. Had the treatment really worked? A smile tugged at his lips and a breathless laugh escaped his throat. After all these months of uncertainty, of watching her suffer, that horrible disease was gone from her body. He didn't know what to say. Somehow saying thank you didn't seem right. He gave in, sinking to his knees, not sure whether he wanted to cry or laugh from joy.

Vegeta turned, his pulse racing. Could it really be true? He looked at Paige still in his arms and grinned widely at her. "You see?" he said. "I knew your mother was a Saiyan deep down. She wouldn't let some stupid disease take her out. She's too strong." He grabbed Bulma and pulled her into a crushing hug with Paige as he kissed her temple. "Our daughter's going to make it."

Bulma couldn't stop the sob that passed her lips as she hugged her mate tightly, giving Paige a watery smile as the little girl hugged Vegeta's neck. "Thank goodness. I wasn't sure how much more she could take. You were right. Saiyan till the end," she said, looking over at Piccolo on the ground. Goku helped him up and gave him a light push back into Jenny's room. "Now she just needs to wake up, but I think she's earned her rest. No more chemo. She will be happy when she hears that."

It was as if he was walking in a daze, his feet carrying him to his mate's bedside. He was seeing her in a new light and even though she was thin and frail, sleeping with all those monitors hooked to her, she was beautiful to him. She was a survivor. He knelt next to her bed, just staring at her for a long time. He couldn't describe the relief that flooded his system, making him dizzy. "Thank you," he whispered harshly to whatever deity had listened to his pleas. He carefully kissed her lips and pulled back to stare at her with a smile.

Jenny cracked her eyes open, barely able to see, but she would recognize that shade of green anywhere. She wasn't sure where she was. She was dead tired and felt like she couldn't move, but she had to know, had to let him know she was still in there. She reached out, curling her hand around his own before she let her eyes fall closed again. "Tired," she rasped.

Piccolo jumped slightly as she spoke. "Don't try to talk," he said softly, squeezing her hand. "Save your strength." He tenderly ran his hand over her head, staring at her as she weakly opened her eyes once more. "You had a heart attack. I almost lost you." He paused, once again thanking the universe for sparing her. "I spoke to the doctor. They ran a bunch of tests. Jenny, the cancer's gone. You did it, baby. You beat it."

Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes as she heard his words, slipping down her cheeks. Gone. It was gone. She could finally start healing, stop her chemotherapy and maybe finally put on some weight. She smiled at him, squeezing his hand as much as she could, which wasn't much. "Do the girls know?" she asked softly before she closed her eyes. Gods, it was exhausting to talk.

"Yeah," he answered in a quiet voice. "Everyone knows. They're all here. Everyone came to be here with you." He kissed her softly and rested his forehead against hers, their noses touching. He could feel his own exhaustion catching up with him now. He'd been so worried for so long, watching over her, comforting her, taking care of their girls. It didn't dawn on him how little he'd taken care of himself. He felt like he could just curl up with her and sleep for an age. "Rest now. As soon as you get your strength back, I'll take you home." He kissed her again. "I'll be right back," he whispered and forced himself to his feet. He looked lovingly at her one more time before he went back out into the hallway. "She woke up for a minute. I think she's going to be okay."

Everyone seemed to heave a sigh of relief at the same time. Sabriena clung to Goku and Tien, shaking with the adrenaline of everything that had happened. She could barely stand on her own. Lindsey let her head fall against Gohan's shoulder, both of them looking worn out as they held their children. Catie grinned brightly and threw herself into Trunks' arms as he stared with a sort of disbelief all over his face. And though he could see how hard it was for Dende to be in this place, Piccolo could also see the bit of relief on his brother's face as he held Alice with Rose at his side.

"Thank you all," Piccolo said roughly, looking down at the tiled floor for a minute. He wasn't good at these sort of things, but he felt it needed to be said. "For everything. I don't know how Jenny and I would've gotten through this without you. Without our family." He looked up and swallowed harshly again. "I'm going to stay here with her. Hopefully they won't keep her more than a few days and we can go home. You all can go. I'll keep Bulma updated and she can let you all know if anything else happens. Hopefully everything will be okay now."

Tora sat quietly, still holding Eighteen and Marron in his lap as everyone started to head for home. He caught Goku's eye as the younger Saiyan smiled over at him and he smiled back before Goku disappeared with his mates and youngest son. Once the hallway was clear and quiet, he rubbed gently at Eighteen's back. "You wanna get out of here? I can take you and Marron home," he offered quietly. He felt that they needed to talk, to spend some time alone with each other, but here was not the place. He silently prayed that she didn't change her mind now that the heat of the moment was past. Surely she wouldn't. There had been so much sincerity in her voice, her eyes. "Please let me come with you. I just want to be near you right now."

Eighteen nodded, holding onto him tightly, "You'd better come home with us. I'll have to drag you back if you don't," she said, kissing his cheek.

Tora smiled warmly and held them both close as he snapped his fingers, disappearing from the hospital and appearing in the little living room of Eighteen's house.


	33. You Won't Regret It

Tora felt his knees shake slightly when they appeared in Eighteen's living room. It was like he was in a dream and he was so afraid that at any moment, he was going to wake up and find himself alone in his apartment again. He looked down at Eighteen and ran his fingers through her hair, drawing his thumb across her cheek. He just wanted to touch her, hold her, kiss her over and over and drink in her presence as much as he possibly could.

He shifted Marron in his arms, not wanting to let go of her either. He would never try to replace Krillin as her father, but dammit, he could certainly try for second best. He tucked her head under his chin, trying not to hug her too tightly. He cleared his throat and gave Eighteen a smile. "So you sure you wanna keep me this time? I'm kinda a pain in the ass."

Eighteen chuckled and nodded, leaning her head into his hand. "I think I do. If you think you can put up with me," she said as she sighed against him. It was as if all the strain that she had been feeling was draining away now that he was back in her house. Their house.

Marron giggled as she laid her head down on Tora's chest. "You need a shower," she said, reaching a small hand up to his jaw and rubbing at the stubble there, "And a shave! You're scratchy!"

Tora threw his head back and laughed. "Yeah, you're probably right," he chuckled. He looked down at his clothes, his wrinkled shirt and the dirty jeans he'd grabbed off the floor in his rush to get to the hospital. He carefully set Marron down on the floor and rubbed the back of his neck as he stood up straight again. "Don't suppose I could trouble you to toss these in the wash? And let me use your shower?" he asked. He knew he probably should've gone home, but he just didn't want to leave.

Eighteen smiled and nodded. "Go ahead, I'll start some breakfast for all of us. Maybe we can catch up on our sleep after we eat." She rubbed at Marron's head affectionately. "Why don't you go wash your hands, sweetheart?" she suggested, smiling as she watched her daughter run off before she looked at Tora, moving to him and kissing him heatedly. "I don't want you to go anywhere," she breathed between kisses.

"I'm not," he answered back, nipping at her lips, kissing her passionately. He pulled her into his arms, moaning softly. A hot shower, a good meal, and crawling into bed with this woman sounded like heaven to him. He finally pulled back and grinned at her. "You just like the idea of me naked in your house," he teased as he gave her ass a playful slap and stepped back to pull his shirt off.

Eighteen smiled faintly. "I just think I'm in shock really. I mean, after all of these months, is it really this simple?" She pressed her lips together for a moment in thought. "Not that I want it to be complicated. I think I've done enough of that lately. Let's try this your way for once," she said, taking his clothes, "Go on, get your shower. I think I hear Marron in the kitchen."

He smiled at her. "It can be this simple if we want it to be," he answered. He stripped off his jeans and boxers, shooting her a wink before he disappeared into the bathroom. The hot water felt good as he let it wash over him. He couldn't believe his luck, that they had somehow mended whatever had been broken between them. He just couldn't seem to stop smiling. That is, until he reached for the soap and saw the ridiculous amount of bottles Eighteen had in the shower. "Women," he muttered under his breath.

He stayed in the shower for a long time, thinking over everything that had happened and where they would go from here. He didn't care really, as long as he was with her. He shaved his face and properly combed out his hair before he wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped out into the hallway. "You gonna give me my clothes back or am I just supposed to walk around like this all the time now?" he teased when he saw her.

Eighteen looked him up and down, pausing a moment as she thought. "I don't know, I think I rather like this look," she teased back, but went to the washroom and pulled his clothes out of the dryer. "You clean up pretty good," she said before she ducked her head; it had probably been because of her that he stopped looking after himself. "I wish I could say something to make up for how horrible I've been to you."

Tora shook his head. "I could've called you just as easily. I think we're equal," he said as he glanced around to make sure Marron wasn't in eye-sight before he dropped the towel and pulled his clothes on. "Such a shame you make me cover up all this Saiyan sexiness, though." He snickered and pulled her to him again, feeling so much better to be clean and in warm, clean clothes. His stomach rumbled for the first time in ages as he smelled the food she'd cooked. "How about we eat and then we can take a nap?" he suggested, wagging his eyebrows.

Eighteen couldn't stop the honest laugh that passed her lips and she nodded. "A nap or a nap?" she asked. "I think I could be up for both." She slid her hand up his freshly shaven cheek, sighing at the softness there. "Come on, you look like you could use a few good meals. I made a lot," she said, leading the way into the kitchen.

Tora followed her, chuckling and scooping up Marron as she came running. He grinned wider when the little girl squealed and he set her in her chair before he sat down. "Oh, this looks good," he said as Eighteen sat a full plate in front of him. "I haven't had a good meal in forever." He eagerly dug into his meal, eating plate after plate until he couldn't possibly eat another bite. He finally sat back with an appreciative groan. "Your momma's a good cook isn't she?" he smiled at Marron.

Marron nodded, giggling at him. "You eat lots, don't you?" she asked as she kicked her legs back and forth, pausing to hide a yawn in her hands. She finished off her milk and looked to her mom. "Can we really go to sleep now?" she asked as she glanced outside at the sun that was starting to rise up.

Eighteen laughed and nodded. "I think so, but don't think this is going to become a regular thing, missy," she said as she picked up the plates and set them into the dishwasher, looking over whatever else had to be done. "That can wait," she said as she wiped her hands on a towel, "I'm exhausted."

Tora stood and stretched his arms over his head, his spine popping. "Let's get some rest then," he said. "Come on, Marron. I'll tuck you in." His heart warmed when her face split in a big smile and she let him carry her to her room. He tucked her into her bed and he had to swallow as she grabbed the pink unicorn and curled up with it. "Sleep well, Little One," he said softly and kissed her forehead. "I'll be here when you wake up. I promise." He sat with her for awhile, running his fingers through her hair until she was sound asleep.

He made his way down the hall to Eighteen's room and leaned in the doorway as he watched her pull back the blankets on the bed. Gods, he would never get over how breathtakingly beautiful she was. "I think I could stare at you for days, you know that?"

"Flatterer," she said before she turned to look at him. "Glad to see some things don't change." She changed her clothes into something more comfortable, looking at him defiantly as she stripped down and pulled on shorts and a tank top before she climbed between the cool sheets. "Come on, I think you've earned whatever you want. I could probably sleep for days, feels like an eternity since I had any decent sleep."

He understood that all too well. "I feel the same," he said as he stripped off his shirt and jeans. Butterflies filled his stomach as he moved to lay in the bed next to her. "Oh, this feels good," he said as he stretched and scooted closer to her. The bed seemed incredibly soft and his eyes felt heavy. He reached over and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Get some rest, sweetheart. You're going to need it when I wake up," he said and pulled her closer to lay her head on his chest.

Eighteen let him arrange her however he wanted, pulling up the covers over them as she settled next to him. She kissed at the skin beneath her lips, smelling the clean soap he had used in his shower. "That better be a promise, mister," she said, letting herself smile softly before she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

He shivered as she kissed so close to the brand on his chest, similar to the one Vegeta wore. "It is," he murmured as he traced his fingertips up and down her spine. A deep, rumbling purr issued from his throat as he too quickly fell asleep with her in his arms.

* * *

><p>Eighteen wasn't sure what time it was when she woke up, the sun was still shining through her windows and a quick glance at the clock told her it was just past one in the afternoon. Soft snoring next to her had her looking at Tora and she smiled, relaxing back into the bed. It hadn't been a dream. He really had come back with them. She felt so foolish, wasting so much precious time on an if when she could have been happy. She let her legs brush up against his, between his. She could feel the heat from his body and the length between his legs. It touched her on some level that he hadn't taken advantage of her when she knew full well that he could do so.<p>

How hard had he been working to get her attention? Well, he had it now and she wanted him to know that. She moved over him, kissing at his neck, his brand, letting her hand trail down his chest, pinching lightly at his nipples and going further down to lightly trail along his length.

Tora drew a long, sharp breath through his nose as he was suddenly woken by the delicate hands that roamed over his body. He smiled sleepily at her as his length twitched. "Hey baby," he said, his voice low and heavy. He felt relief crash through him again to see her and feel her beside him. For one fearful moment, he thought he was going to wake up alone again. He rolled to his side and ran his hand down her arm, drinking in the sight of her. "Gods, you're beautiful," he breathed before he moved to suck at her neck, gently thrusting his hips into her touch.

Eighteen tilted her head to the side to give him better access to her neck as he sucked at her flesh. Her body woke up to his attentions and she sighed happily. "I've been waiting so long for this," she said as she let her fingers curl around his impressive girth and stroked him languidly. "I've missed you. More than I ever thought I could. It hurt so much not to have you here. I promise you, I won't push you away ever again," she said as she leaned in kissing at his shoulder, his neck, jaw.

He moaned against her as his hand slid down her flat stomach. "Please don't," he begged quietly. "I don't think I could ever stand to be away from you again." He slipped his hand into her shorts, trailing his fingertip along the wet line he found there. Her hand on him felt amazing and he wanted to return the same to her. He flicked his finger over her clit as he continued to suck at her neck, groaning against her. His cock throbbed in her hand and he moved to lay closer to her. "Gods, you know how to drive me crazy. You know that?"

Eighteen gasped and moaned as she felt his hand on her. She rocked into his touch, suddenly wanting him, wanting that space between them to vanish. "I want you. Nothing between us, no more space, no more distance at all," she said as the swirled her thumb around the head of his cock, loving the feeling of the hot steel in her grasp. She forced herself to pull away as she yanked off her top and shimmied out of her shorts before she returned to him. She pushed him to lay back before she climbed on top of him, holding his length steady as she sank down on top of him, moaning out as he filled her so completely. "Gods, yes!" she cried as she reached up and pinched her own nipples, looking down at him with a smirk.

Tora's back arched and he moaned loudly at the feel of her hot, tight body on him. His mouth watered at her sexy display as she teased her own breasts. "Baby, you look so good," he groaned as he thrust up into her. It felt so good to be connected with her like this. Not just physically, but in every way. His hands went to her hips, curling his fingers around them and he bucked up into her again, moaning at the feel of her surrounding him. "Come here," he growled and pulled her down closer to him so he could bury his face in the valley between her breasts.

Eighteen couldn't stop the moan that escaped her lips as Tora bucked up into her, his length pressing up against that spot deep inside of her that made stars burst before her eyes. "I've missed you so much," she gasped as the Saiyan rubbed his face between her breasts, catching a nipple and biting at it before he switched to the other one. "So good," she moaned.

Tora nodded as he sucked fiercely at her nipple, working the nub between his teeth, flicking his tongue over it. Gods, her skin tasted good. He licked and nipped at her chest, his hands gripping her ass as he pulled her down on him again and again. "I missed you, too," he answered. He hissed in pleasure, thrusting up harder into her. "You are amazing. I love how wet you are for me," he breathed as his cock twitched inside her.

Eighteen could barely stand the pleasure that was coursing through her body, everything seemed to finally be at peace with itself. The world was starting to right itself and she could almost feel the age of peace that Dende had talked about. She clenched herself around Tora's body, committing the feeling of him, the taste, everything to memory. She pushed herself back, leaning down to claim his lips. "I want you to move in," she gasped as his cock pulsed deeply inside of her.

Tora gasped as his eyes went wide. "Wh-what?" he panted, certain he had heard her wrong. She must've gone crazy. He searched her eyes as he continued to thrust up into her, his heart swelling when he realized she meant what she said. "Yes," he cried. "Oh gods, Eighteen." He could feel himself swelling within her, his emotions in overdrive, the pleasure amplifying. "Baby, I'm gonna come."

Eighteen hissed out as she felt him speed up his thrusts, skin slapping against skin. His answer made her heart soar, she had wasted so much time with him when they could have had a happy life together. Marron could have remembered so much if she hadn't chased this wonderful man out of their lives. "Tora, come with me," she cried out as her orgasm washed over her. Her muscles clenched and trembled around him as she came.

He roared out at the same time, his cock filling her body, his breath catching in his throat. He held her tightly to him as they rode out their orgasm together. He finally collapsed back against the bed, a silly grin on his face as he looked at her. She really wanted him, had asked him to move in with her. He reached up and brushed some of the hair from her face. "You have no idea how happy you just made me," he said.

Eighteen laughed softly, leaning into his touch. She kissed at his palm before she met his eyes. "Oh, I think I have a small idea," she said as she wiggled on him, moaning softly as she felt him inside of her, his hot cum slipping from her. "Thank you... I don't think I ever said it, but for everything that you've done for me. Us. Thank you," she said as she laid over him, closing her eyes as she drew the covers back over them.

"You don't have to thank me. I did it because I wanted to," he answered, gently lifting his hips up, pressing himself into her once more. He held her to him and rolled, pinning her beneath him. He sighed as he sank deeper into her body. He grabbed her legs and pulled them around his waist. A moan escaped his lips as he gently thrust into her. She felt so tight and wet around his hard, aching length. "I love making love to you," he purred in her ear as he wrapped his tail around her waist. It wiggled down between them, the tip of it caressing her clit as he rocked into her.

Eighteen gasped out and thrust up against him, she was starting to love that tail of his more and more. She secured her legs around his waist, her hand going to curl around the furry appendage, stroking it carefully in time with his languid thrusts. "Mm, I'm starting to see the merit of having you around." She gave him a wink, feeling at peace with herself. That she could be like this with him, that he accepted her even though she was broken in so many ways. "You are amazing," she breathed as his girth filled her over and over again.

"No, you are," he breathed and captured her lips in a heated kiss. His body tensed and shivered as she stroked his tail. Gods, how he loved that. He quickened his thrusts, delving deep into her body. He would never get enough of her. "Y-you keep that up and you're gonna make me come again," he warned, moving his tail quicker against the sensitive flesh of her body. He growled in his throat as her fingers only curled tighter around it. "Eighteen!" he cried as his cock swelled and poured into her body, a roar of pleasure ripping from his throat as he came.

Eighteen's body crested a second later, the sensation of his hot essence filling her becoming too much as she clenched around him, her hand tightening around the tail that teased her body so perfectly. She couldn't wait to spend a lifetime exploring what they could do with that tail, with each other. She wanted so much and she had been so afraid to voice that want, to accept it for herself. She felt complete once again and deep down, she felt that was alright. To be happy wasn't wrong. She relaxed back into the bed, smiling up at the Saiyan, "You weren't kidding about that Saiyan stamina."

He chuckled and leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes closing for a minute. "Nope. I wasn't," he smiled and kissed her softly. He nuzzled at her jaw, still bracing himself above her small frame. "And now it's my turn to thank you. Thank you for giving me a second chance. I promise, Eighteen, you won't regret it."


	34. A Time of Peace

"Finally," Tora sighed as he crushed the last moving box and looked around at their new home. He couldn't stop the huge smile on his face. He loved the new home he'd purchased for himself and Eighteen. It was perfect. A big house in the suburbs with the large backyard, complete with a white picket fence. Okay, so maybe it was almost too picturesque, but he loved it. He was proud of himself that he was able to do that for them with the money he'd saved back from the fights. He inhaled deeply, loving the scent in the library already. He couldn't believe he had a room just for his books.

He trotted into the living room where Eighteen was arranging some pictures on the wall and he wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing at the side of her neck. "I'm so excited to spend our first night in this house," he grinned as he admired the photos on the wall. A warm summer breeze blew through the open window, curling around them, and he purred deeply as he held her.

Eighteen laughed warmly at him, tilting her head to the side to give him better access to her. "Going to be marking your territory?" she laughed. "It's a warm night out, they might appear when you least expect it," she said, remembering the idea that Tora had suggested, saying that her husband had mentioned something about catching fireflies with Marron, that it could trigger her memory. She remembered that night when Krillin had taken their daughter out to catch the fireflies. She had been so enveloped by the experience, laughing as she and Krillin had chased the bugs around the house. The way her eyes sparkled as they put them in a jar and watched them glow. "I hope this works."

"Only one way to find out," he answered and kissed at her neck once more. Her comment about marking his territory didn't go unnoticed and he tucked it away for a discussion later that night. Right now, his mind was preoccupied with Marron. He gave Eighteen a big grin before he headed to the kitchen and grabbed up an empty mason jar. "Hey, Marron!" he called up the stairs. "Me and your mom are going out in the backyard for awhile. You wanna come with us? I want to show you something." He was practically dancing from toe to toe with hope that this might help her remember. He snickered at the memory of dealing with the realtor, how surprised she had been that his major concern was that there were plenty of fireflies around in the summer.

Marron looked up from the book she had been reading and smiled brightly, nodding enthusiastically as she jumped up and ran to the Saiyan, jumping up into his arms, giggling as he caught her. "What is it? Are we going to roast marshmallows?" she asked hopefully. She loved being out in this house. Plenty of space, there was even a barbeque pit where her mom and Tora made the best ribs ever. She bounced in his arms as they stepped outside, smiling at her mother who lit the little fire pit on the deck.

"Maybe here in a bit," he said as he looked around at the waning light in the backyard. The sun had just about set, casting long, dark shadows across the yard. He walked out into the grass, loving the feel of the cool blades beneath his bare feet. "I want to show you something first," he said and gently set her down. He crouched next to her, trying to get on the same eye level as she was. He grinned brightly as he spotted the first little glowing light near the bushes. "Look, Marron. You see that?" he asked and pointed.

Marron's eyes darted over to where Tora pointed, they went wide as she saw the little glowing light for the first time. She frowned, was it the first time? She had this weird feeling that she had seen them before. "What is that?" she asked as she wandered over to it, gasping out as it vanished. "Where did it go!?" she exclaimed, her head turning this way and that. She saw it again, but farther away and she took off after it, giggling as it vanished once she got close to it. "Tora! What are they?! They keep going away!"

He laughed and hurried after her as more of the little bugs began to appear in the yard. "They're fireflies," he said. He unscrewed the lid to the jar and showed it to her. "We can catch them and put them in here for a little while so you can look at them." He grinned at her as she looked questioningly at him. "It's okay. They won't hurt you," he assured her. "Watch." He set the jar down in the yard and carefully reached out to grab one of the bugs with his hands, making sure he didn't crush the tiny thing. "Look," he said and knelt in front of her, slowly parting his hands to show her the little glowing light.

Marron tilted her head at the little bug, watching as it crawled in Tora's hand. It would glow every so often and it made her giggle. She reached out and let the little bug crawl into her own hand, laughing as the little legs tickled her fingers. She paused for a moment, her world shifting a moment as she flexed her toes into the grass. She could have sworn she had done this before, but it had been on a beach. Water lapping at her toes and a full jar of the bugs glowing for her. _They still glow for you, Marron, my little firefly._ Her eyes went wide, tears springing to her face, "Daddy?"

Eighteen watched, her hand to her mouth and tears forming in her eyes. She felt something, him. He was there in spirit with them. Watching their little girl, encouraging her. "Krillin," she whispered as she watched Tora and Marron from the deck.

Tora felt it, too. The same presence he had felt when he'd met Krillin in a dream. He felt encouraged by it and he watched Marron carefully. "Let this work," he whispered under his breath. "Krillin, if you can hear me, help her remember. Please." His pulse raced, hope welling up within him at the expression on Marron's face. He cleared his throat, speaking a little louder so she could hear him. "Your daddy told me you liked fireflies," he said to her. "In a dream, he told me that you and him used to catch them."

Marron blinked down at the bug watching it for a moment before she moved and placed it in the open jar that Tora had waiting for her. She peered into the glass, watching it crawl around for a moment. She could have sworn she felt a hand on her shoulder, but looking up at Tora she realized he had both of his hands on the glass jar. "This is…" she started, rubbing at her eyes, "We didn't catch fireflies in the yard... They were on a beach," she said, "And he would call me his little firefly." Her eyes widened as she remembered it. Everything came pouring back to her in a rush, as if someone had turned a key deep inside of her mind. She remembered. Her birthday party and climbing over the fence. Her fear at the earthquake and the rock falling towards her. "Tora, you saved me that day at the party." Her eyes watered and she blinked up at him, throwing herself into his arms. "I remember!" she cried.

Eighteen couldn't stop the tears of happiness that poured down her face as she watched her daughter shouting in joy. She wasn't entirely sure, but the light from the fireflies... they lit up in a way next to her daughter… It almost looked as if Krillin was standing right next to her, patting her little head just like he used to. "Thank you, my love," she whispered, trying not to gasp out as she saw the form shift and lift its hand to her before the fireflies dispersed.

Tora gave a watery laugh as he hugged Marron tightly. Happy tears flooded his eyes. She remembered. "Thank you, Krillin," he gasped as he held the little girl in his arms. He gave another laugh and pulled back, cupping her face in his hands. "I'm so proud of you, Little One. I knew you could do it. Oh, I'm so happy for you, Marron. I know your dad is proud of you, too."

Marron's eyes watered and she nodded, remembering now her time with him when she was in her coma. "Daddy visited with me while I was sleeping. He kept me safe. We played games, caught fireflies. Ate as much as we could and then he stayed up late to tell me stories." She wiped her eyes. "I knew you were a good guy, Tora," she said as she hugged him tightly. "Thank you for saving me!"

"I'd do it all over again," he said, hugging her and looking over her shoulder at Eighteen on the porch. He gave her a small smile before he wiped at his eyes. Saiyans weren't supposed to be emotional like this. He sniffled and coughed slightly before he looked at Marron again. "So you think it's okay if I stay, right?" he teased her. "You think your mom's gonna keep me?"

Marron laughed and nodded, looking over to her mother as she came down off the porch and settled down in the grass next to them. "You'd better keep him mommy. I like him!" she proclaimed and hugged Tora protectively. "Please?" she asked, grinning at her mom as if someone told her a secret just then. "You love each other! You can't send him away!"

Eighteen laughed and wiped her eyes again. "Yes, I'm going to keep him." She looked at him with a wink, "He provides, he's funny and he likes books so he can help you with your homework." She laughed at Marron's look before she turned to Tora. "I'm going to keep you until the end of time," she said.

Tora's heart swelled to near bursting as he stood and looked at her. "You sound like you wanna marry me," he said, only half-teasing. He took her hand and pulled her closer, carefully tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Marron's right. I do love you, Eighteen. I can't imagine my life without you or her now." He swallowed roughly, trying to keep his voice from trembling. "So what do you say? Can we really be a family? Will you marry me?" He knew it was sort of out of the blue, but he didn't care. He wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with this amazing woman.

Eighteen smiled at him, her heart bursting with happiness. She looked at Marron, tears in her eyes, "What do you think baby? Should we let him marry us?" She grinned as her daughter smiled widely at them and nodded and flung herself into her arms.

"Yes!" Marron exclaimed, "Yes! Marry us! Marry us!" She flung herself into Tora's arms, crawling over him. "Daddy says he'd be the best man, but it'd be awkward!" She giggled and fell against him, looking up at her mother and the Saiyan. "Well? Kiss her silly!" she said with a mock punch.

Tora's face split in a huge smile and he grabbed Eighteen up, lifting her feet off the ground as he kissed her deeply. He gave a small moan as his tongue slid against hers, drinking in the sweet taste of her. His heart pounded against his ribs, more butterflies dancing in his stomach. He had one more question, one that made him even more vulnerable to her, but he didn't care. He wanted it. Still holding her tightly, he nuzzled into her hair, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered, "Will you mate with me?"

Eighteen felt her heart pounding as she heard his words, the way he looked at her. The sincerity of the question. It made her weak to think about it. She thought about all the others who had mated with the Saiyans. She remembered Goku's words on the wind about what Vegeta had said about multiple partners so that if one died they wouldn't be alone, "Yes. Please. I want to be mated with you so that I'm never alone again," she said. She smiled against him, "Let's do it."

A happy sob escaped him as he hugged her tighter and kissed her once more. He didn't know it was possible to be this incredibly happy. He fell to his knees, still holding her and reached out for Marron, pulling her into a hug with them. "I love you," he gasped. "I love you both." He couldn't believe it. He finally had the one thing he had always wanted. He finally had a family of his own.

* * *

><p>Vegeta lounged in the big backyard beneath a shade tree, letting Jenny lean against his side. It had only been a few months since the scare at the hospital, but already she was looking better. She was still thin, but her appetite was back and she had more color in her cheeks. He chuckled as he watched the children running and playing together. Paige had taken over whatever game it was that they had created and was bossing everyone else around. "That girl is nothing but trouble," he snickered with a look of pride in his eyes. He looked over the crowd gathered there. Everyone had arrived it seemed, save for Tora and Eighteen. He was sure that Bulma had invited them. He wondered where they were.<p>

Jenny blinked herself awake, she had been dozing. Saiyans were so warm and curling up against her dad made her sleepy. It's all she had ever thought about since she had her last visit in chemotherapy. Her family had made sure that after her last visit to the accursed place that she had plenty to eat, all that she could stand. Vegeta had started taking her back into the gravity room. Nothing fancy yet. Pushups at a low low gravity that she could handle. It felt like heaven to her to have that energy once again. She felt cherished and loved. She turned over, slipping her arm around his waist as she peered out over the party. "You did say Paige was going to be the ring leader." She yawned and looked out, seeing Alice still following Dende around. "Might as well be, but I think Gramma was right. Alice is going to be the one watching over them all someday."

He nodded and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, letting her cuddle closer to his side. "You're right," he agreed. He had to stifle a yawn of his own and playfully bumped against her. "Knock that off. You're going to put me to sleep, too." He leaned back against the tree a little more, a soft purr rumbling in his chest. He loved this hot weather, but he hated how it tempted him to be lazy.

Tora appeared in the yard a short time later with Eighteen and Marron. He grinned when Marron's eyes lit up as she recognized the other children running and playing in the yard. "Go ahead," he said, giving her a gentle push towards them. "Go play with your friends." He smiled and rubbed Eighteen's back as Marron scampered off. He leaned down and kissed her temple. "I'm gonna go brag about having the most beautiful mate in the world," he rumbled in her ear before he turned, seeing Goku standing nearby with Tien. He gave a big wave and walked over to the younger Saiyan, a cocky grin splitting his face. "Check it out," he said proudly, tipping his head to the side to display the still rather fresh mating mark on his neck.

Goku turned from Tien, whom he was having a heated discussion about being lazy in the summer, soaking up all the sun so he would have energy for sexy times later in the night. Tien wasn't going for it. "Hey Tora!" He looked to the Saiyan and grinned, "Wow! Hey! You finally mated with Eighteen!? That's great! I was wondering when you guys would get together!"

"Yup," he answered, turning to look at his new mate. Gods, just the mere thought of it sent a thrill of excitement up his spine. "She's amazing," he murmured, more to himself than anyone. "We got moved into our new place. You guys will have to come by sometime. Oh! And Marron got her memory back! I can't hardly believe the way everything turned out." He smiled when he saw Jenny and Vegeta lounging beneath the tree across the yard.

Goku's eyes widened. "Really? Wow! How did you do that?" He looked over at Marron laughing and playing with the other kids as if it had been the day of the party, "That's awesome!"

"I think it was more Krillin than me," Tora admitted. At Tien's questioning look, he explained, "I had a dream about him. He told me Marron liked fireflies. So, you know, I kinda ran with it. It worked. She saw the fireflies and it all came back to her."

"I'm glad things turned out the way they did," Tien said and shook Tora's hand. "Congratulations. Hope you can handle her. I know she gave Krillin a run for his money." He raised an eyebrow and sighed, grabbing Goku by the wrist. "I see you eyeing that spot in the yard. You can't just go curl up in the sun and sleep while we're at a party."

Goku snorted. "Come on, Vegeta's doing it," he whined as he took advantage of Tien's grasp on him, flipping him over his shoulder. "It's a party, we can do what we want," he said as he waved at Tora, "You should come and join us!" He flopped on the ground, curling up with Tien in the grassy spot. He sighed at the warm spot. "See? This is great until more food gets put out."

Tora watched them for a moment, then doubled over in laughter as Tien tried to get up and Goku pinned him back down. He could see Gohan across the way, shaking his head at his dad. He turned away to go sit next to Jenny and Vegeta as Tien's shouts of protest echoed across the yard. "You're lookin' good, kiddo," Tora said as he settled himself next to her beneath the tree.

Jenny looked over at Tora, curling around Vegeta more protectively, "Mine." She said before blinking and looking at Tora again. "Oh, thank you. I feel better. Dad's been helping me restart my training. I feel like I'm back at step one. I hope it will come back to me as we go along," she said, breathing in deeply the scent of her father's shirt. She gained a new appreciation of everything since she had recovered and she didn't want to forget one moment of anything. Every detail she wanted committed to memory.

"It'll come right back to you," he said, leaning back on his hands. He snorted at the possessive way she curled around Vegeta. "You can have him. He's all grumpy and shit anyway."

Vegeta growled low in his chest at Tora. "Watch it," he warned. "I'll let her use you for target practice. Her aim's improving, but it needs a little work." He snickered to himself as his tail thumped lazily in the grass. He looked down at Jenny. "He hasn't been around for training for awhile either. I think I should turn you two loose on each other. That would be entertaining." He lowered his voice, but not so much that Tora couldn't hear him. "My money's on you," he said to her.

Jenny chuckled and looked over at Tora, grinning widely, "I can take him." She chuckled and looked over at Goku and Tien, it seemed as though Tien had finally given up and accepted his fate, enjoying the sunshine.

Alice was wandering around, following Dende and Rose as they mingled with everyone. She laughed as she got to Trunks and Catie who were lounging by the pool. Her eyes widened and she toddled over to Catie, reaching up and climbing gingerly into her lap. She smiled widely as Dende and Rose greeted the couple. She interrupted them when she reached out to Catie's stomach and grinned. "Baby!" she exclaimed happily.

Catie's eyes went wide. "What?" she half-cried, half-laughed. She blinked at Trunks, confusion on her face and his as well. "What on earth is she talking about?" She leaned forward until her forehead touched Alice's. "You're so funny." She gave a start at the serious look that crossed the little Namek's face. Her hands flew to her flat stomach, surprise ripping through her. "No way," she breathed in shock.

Alice gave Catie and Trunks a serious look, pointing at the lavender haired Saiyan. "Daddy!" she said firmly as she looked at Catie, "Mommy." She pointed at Catie's belly, "Baby!"

Dende laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "Ah, well, I've been teaching her how to pick up on energies. She's, ah, really good at it." He smiled at them and bowed. "Then I believe congratulations are in order," he said smiling over them before he looked over to where Vegeta was reclining in the shade. "You might want to pick a better time to tell Vegeta, looks as if Jenny is still hogging him for the day. She's never been happier to visit with her father."

Catie pressed her hand to her stomach, her eyes going wide as she felt the little energy there. "Trunks!" she breathed, her voice higher than normal. She grabbed his hand and pressed it to her stomach. "Oh my god! We're going to be parents!" Her voice was hushed, but it did nothing to hide the excitement and nervousness there.

Trunks felt his heart going a million miles a minute. "Oh wow," he said as he sat up and placed his hand over Catie's stomach. "Gosh, I can feel it! Do you guys know what it's going to be or is it too early?" he asked. He blinked widely at her stomach, stroking his thumb over it as a huge smile split his face. "I can't believe I'm going to be a dad!"

Dende shook his head. "Invite us back in a few months and I'll be able to let you know," he said happily. "And don't let Goku know. He will steal this baby away from you," he added in a serious tone.

Rose laughed and looked over at Goku, who was curled up at Tien's side as they laid in the yard. "Kidnapper," she muttered affectionately and shook her head. She smiled in spite of herself. It was good to see him happy after everything he'd been through. And it was good to have Jenny back, watching her heal and recover from her ordeal. She could feel the peace that was growing in the world. It was good.

Catie's eyes went wide as she looked at the glass of wine she'd been sipping on. "Oh! No more of this!" she cried and grabbed Trunks' glass to dump her wine into his. She set the glass aside and looked at Alice. "Don't tell anyone yet, okay? Promise aunt Catie you won't tell anyone. Today's party is for your mommy. We don't want to steal her attention. We'll tell everyone later. Promise?" She grinned as Alice nodded her head. "Good girl," Catie said and kissed Alice's forehead.

She looked at Trunks for a moment and grabbed the front of his shirt, yanking him over to her so she could kiss him fiercely. She was so excited and scared at the same time. He'd said he wanted to have a baby with her the night they mated; she hadn't expected it to happen so soon. She snickered against his lips as she thought about Bulma's reaction. She might have gotten away with not being called a grandma by Alice and Paige, but not this time.

"Get a room," Sabriena teased as she walked by, completely oblivious to the reason for Catie and Trunks' happiness in that moment. She paused and looked around, searching for either of her husbands. She snorted when she found them lying on the grass in the middle of the yard. "You two are bums," she said dryly as she stood at their feet, looking down at them.

Tien cracked open his eyes and gave her a lazy grin. "It's his fault," he said, giving Goku a little shake, but all the Saiyan did was give a slight snore and continue to sleep. Tien rolled his eyes and stretched out his free arm to Sabriena. "C'mere, girl," he rumbled and pulled her down to lay on his other side. He couldn't describe the calm that surrounded them. Something had changed in the world, it had been changing for awhile, but now it felt solid. Complete. Like the peace they had might just last for a little while this time.

Sabriena laid her head on Tien's chest and stared at Goku for a moment. She reached over and stroked her finger down the bridge of his nose, repeating the action over and over until he gently woke from his rest and blinked sleepily at her. "You lazy Saiyan," she grinned at him. "You're rubbing off on Tien. I swear, you're like a big cat."

Goku yawned and smiled, reaching out over Tien's chest to stroke lovingly at her cheek. "I've heard that one before. Can you blame me? It feels so good out here. You'd be hard pressed to find a Saiyan who isn't getting a catnap in the sun," he said as he yawned again and turned his face into Tien's neck, purring affectionately against the mark there. It wasn't sexual, it was contentment. "I think I could get used to this. This peace," he said. "I'm ready to have a life with you guys when we aren't bombarded by pain and danger."

A smile split Tien's face as he gazed up at the clouds overhead, wrapping his arms around his loves. "Peace," he said almost longingly. "Yeah, I could get used to that." He sighed contentedly as Goku kissed gently at the mark on his neck, a warmth spreading through him. "Well, peace or no peace, as long as I have both of you, I can be happy."

Sabriena smiled and reached over to lightly touch Goku's mark, closing her hand protectively over it. She could feel the warmth from Tien radiating within herself. "Listen to him being all mushy," she teased and giggled when Tien frowned at her. "You know I love you anyway."

Goku laughed and smiled at them. His two perfect mates. He looked over at his son playing with Paige and Marron, the other kids. Their large family was ready for a long era of peace.

**Final Author's Note: **Wooooooot! I had fun writing this one, you guys. There will be a new story out shortly. We're unsure of the title at this point. But there will be a bit of a time-jump between this story and the next. (About 14 years to be exact.) Hope you guys stick around for the next one. Thank you so much for all the reviews! And I look forward to seeing what you think of the next one! Been thinking about this for over a year now. I can't wait.


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